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Planta Med 1978; 34(8): 345-380
DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1097466
Review Article

© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Studies on the Biosynthesis of Antibiotics1

H. G. Floss, C.–j. Chang, O. Mascaretti, K. Shimada
  • Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy and Pharmacal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA.
1 This paper is based on a lecture given at the Gordon Conference on Natural Products, New Hampshire, USA, July 1977.
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Publication Date:
13 January 2009 (online)

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Abstract

The biosynthesis of a number of antibiotics which have been studied in this laboratory is reviewed. These include indolmycin, pyrrolnitrin, dihydrophenylalanine, spectinomycin, chlorothricin, α–naphthocyclinone and granaticin. The results on the stereochemistry of some reactions involved in these biosyntheses are also discussed and these include the stereochemical course of the transfer of a methyl group from S–adenosylmethionine to the β–carbon of indolepyruvate and the stereochemistry of the reductive removal of the hydroxyl functions in the formations of 2,6–dideoxyhexoses.

Key Word Index

Biosynthesis - Antibiotics - Streptomyces - Pseudomonas - Indolmycin - Pyrrolnitrin - Spectinomycin - Dihydrophenylalanine - Chlorothricin - Granaticin - Naphthocyclinone