Link to Pubmed [PMID] – 28871293
Org. Biomol. Chem. 2017 Sep;15(36):7518-7522
A modular total synthesis of mycolactone A/B, the exotoxin produced by Mycobacterium ulcerans, has been achieved through the orchestration of several Pd-catalyzed key steps. While this route leads to a mixture of the natural product and its C12 epimer (4 : 1 ratio), this was inconsequential from the biological activity standpoint. Compared to the previously reported routes, this synthetic blueprint allows the late-stage modification of the toxin, as exemplified by the preparation of [22,22,22-(2)H3]-mycolactone A/B.