Darren J. Dixon, Steven V. Ley, Tibor Gracza and Peter Szolcsanyi
The first total synthesis of erythroskyrine, a polyenoyltetramic acid mycotoxin and principal pigment of Penicillium Islandicum Sopp., is described using a palladium(II) catalysed oxycarbonylation to create the furan-derived bicyclic portion 3 and the phosphonate ester 5 to furnish both the polyenoyl chain and the N-methyl(S)-valine derived tetramic acid terminus.