Fifty Years of the Synthesis of Labelled Mevalonic Acid

Abstract

This article reviews developments in the synthesis of isotopically-labelled samples of mevalonic acid for use in studies of terpenoid and steroid biosynthesis.

Short, Enantioselective Synthesis of Mevalonic Acid

“…[20][21][22][23] This approach also enabled the chemical synthesis of partial and completely deuterated derivatives of the corresponding δ-lactone, mevalolactone, for the study of mevalonate biosynthesis. [24][25] The chemical syntheses involved a combination of many steps, low yields, and sub-95% ee product mixtures. For example, one of the most efficient, highest yielding syntheses begins with a Grignard reaction of allyl bromide and ethyl acetate leading to mevalolactone in four steps with a yield of 57%, but produces only a racemic product mixture.…”