Sequence studies in biosynthesis; mycophenolic acid
Abstract
Comparative incorporation experiments with [1′-14C]orsellinic acid (1) and [1′-14C]-2,4-dihydroxy-5,6-dimethylbenzoic acid (2) suggest that only the latter is a specific precursor of mycophenolic acid; the implication of this result in terms of the biosynthetic sequence is discussed, and preliminary studies on the mode of construction of the terpenoid side-chain are also reported.