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We have previously demonstrated that the biosynthesis of the C 7 -cyclitol, called valienol (or valienamine), of the ␣-glucosidase inhibitor acarbose starts from the cyclization of sedo-heptulose 7-phosphate to 2-epi-5-epivaliolone (Stratmann, A., Mahmud, T., Lee, S., Distler, J., Thus, a phosphotransferase activity was identified modifying 2-epi-5-epi-valiolone by ATP-dependent phosphorylation. This activity could be attributed to the AcbM protein by verifying this activity in S. lividans strain TK64/pCW4123M, expressing His-tagged AcbM. The Histagged AcbM protein was purified and subsequently characterized as a 2-epi-5-epi-valiolone 7-kinase, presumably catalyzing the first enzyme reaction in the biosynthetic route, leading to an activated form of the intermediate 1-epi-valienol. The AcbK protein could not catalyze the same reaction nor convert any of the other C 7 -cyclitol monomers tested. The 2-epi-5-epi-valiolone 7-phosphate was further converted by the AcbO protein to another isomeric and phosphorylated intermediate, which was likely to be the 2-epimer 5-epi-valiolone 7-phosphate. The products of both enzyme reactions were characterized by mass spectrometric methods. The product of the AcbM-catalyzed reaction, 2-epi-5-epi-valiolone 7-phosphate, was purified on a preparative scale and identified by NMR spectroscopy. A biosynthetic pathway for the pseudodisaccharidic acarviosyl moiety of acarbose is proposed on the basis of these data.

A practical route is decribed for the preparation of the C(7)N core of manumycin-type compounds. Starting from p-benzoquinone, optically pure compounds in both forms can be prepared via enzymatic resolution of a derived diacetoxy conduritol. A diepoxy aminoinositol is accessible which can function for formation of enantiopure epoxyquinones and quinols. Examples are given for acylation reactions of this amine with several acyl derivatives. With this approach (-)-LL-C10037alpha and quinones such as (+)-KT-8110 with 5R,6S-configuration can be synthesized through oxidation. In addition a short route to (+)-bromoxone is described. Most steps include simple epoxide formation and cleavage reactions which all can be carried out in a high stereoselective manner.

Unambiguous total syntheses of both optical antipodes of the enantiomeric pair D-myo-inositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins(3,4,5)P3) and D-myo-inositol 1,5,6-trisphosphate (Ins(1,5,6)P3) are described. The ring system characteristic of myo-inositol was constructed de novo from p-benzoquinone. X-ray data for the enzymatically resolved (1S,2R,3R,4S)-1,4-diacetoxy-2,3-dibromocyclohex-5-ene enabled the unequivocal assignment of the absolute configuration. Subsequent transformations under stereocontrolled conditions led to enantiopure C2-symmetrical 1,4-(di-O-benzyldiphospho)conduritol B derivatives. Their synthetic potential was exploited to prepare Ins(3,4,5,6)P4 and Ins(1,4,5,6)P4 in three steps. With a recently identified and partially purified InsP5/InsP4 phosphohydrolase from Dictyostelium discoideum, these enantiomers could be converted to the target compounds, Ins(3,4,5)P3 and Ins(1,5,6)P3, on a preparative scale. An HPLC system employed for both purification of the inositol phosphates and analytical runs ensured that the products were isomerically homogeneous. The sensitivity of detection achieved by a complexometric postcolumn derivatization method indicates that the complexation properties of Ins(3,4,5)P3/Ins(1,5,6)P3 resemble those of Ins(1,2,3)P3, a compound with antioxidant potential. The set of inositol phosphates synthesized was used to clarify structural motifs important for molecular recognition by p42(IP4), a high-affinity Ins(1,3,4,5)P4/PtdIns(3,4,5)P3-specific binding protein from pig cerebellum.

Valuable tools for experimental anti‐inflammatory therapy and for clarifying the biological role of neutral sphingomyelinase and ceramide might be represented by manumycins. The antibiotic manumycin A (1), known as a Ras farnesyltransferase inhibitor, and some of its analogues were identified as irreversible inhibitors of neutral sphingomyelinase. The simple analogue 2 is readily accessible, stable and hitherto represents the most potent irreversible inhibitor of neutral sphingomyelinase.

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A series of novel amphiphiles were synthesized based entirely on renewable resources. Besides their efficacy as supramolecular gelators in a wide variety of organic solvents and also water, their surface properties as surfactants and emulsifiers have been determined. A methodical study revealed that the length of the hydrocarbon chains has a dramatic and decisive influence on the thermal stabilities of the obtained hydrogels.

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