Recent advances in total synthesis of illisimonin A

• Juan Huang and
• Ming Yang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2571–2583, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.199

• proposed biosynthetic pathway clarifies the relationship between illisimonin A and other Illicium sesquiterpenes. Allo-cedrane-type, seco-prezizaane-type and illismonane-type Illicium sesquiterpenes are all biosynthesized from farnesyl diphosphate (2) through a series of cationic cyclizations and

• – particularly the critical reactions responsible for skeletal diversity – Yang and co-workers first introduced a comprehensive and detailed biosynthetic pathway for Illicium sesquiterpenes, with the route to illisimonin A depicted in Scheme 5. The transformations from farnesyl diphosphate to the allo-cedryl

Rapid access to the core of malayamycin A by intramolecular dipolar cycloaddition

• Yilin Liu,
• Yuchen Yang,
• Chen Yang,
• Sha-Hua Huang,
• Jian Jin and
• Ran Hong

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2542–2547, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.196

• action may not be consistent with those of known fungicide classes. This encouraging characteristic indicates its potential to overcome resistance to other fungicides [6][7][8]. Structurally, malayamycin A belongs to a class of modified nucleosides that mimic UDP (uridine 5′-diphosphate)-linked

Enantioselective radical chemistry: a bright future ahead

• Anna C. Renner,
• Sagar S. Thorat,
• Hariharaputhiran Subramanian and
• Mukund P. Sibi

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2283–2296, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.174

• engineered thiamine diphosphate-dependent lyase) working together with an organic dye (eosin Y) that served as a photoredox catalyst [77]. Highly diastereo- and enantioselective three-component couplings were catalyzed by an evolved pyridoxal decarboxylase and a small-molecule photoredox catalyst (rose

C2 to C6 biobased carbonyl platforms for fine chemistry

• Jingjing Jiang,
• Muhammad Noman Haider Tariq,
• Florence Popowycz,
• Yanlong Gu and
• Yves Queneau

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2103–2172, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.165

• groups through hydrogenolysis, neutralization with cyclohexylamine and treatment with ion-exchange resin led to dihydroxyacetone phosphate. This 4-step method was more efficient than the previously reported dismutation of fructose-1,6-diphosphate [84] and 3-chloro-1,3-propanediol [85] which required more

• biomass-based molecule and widely used building block in the food industry as flavoring compound. It can be synthesized from diacetyl by reduction using enzymes such as Aerobacter aerogenes [102] or thiamine diphosphate-dependent lyase (ThdP-lyase) [103]. The biotechnological production of chiral acetoin

Computation-guided scaffold exploration of 2E,6E-1,10-trans/cis-eunicellanes

• Zining Li,
• Sana Jindani,
• Volga Kojasoy,
• Teresa Ortega,
• Erin M. Marshall,
• Khalil A. Abboud,
• Sandra Loesgen,
• Dean J. Tantillo and
• Jeffrey D. Rudolf

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 1320–1326, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.115

• ) of alkenes in the 10-membered ring (Figure 1A). During biosynthesis, the eunicellane skeleton is first constructed by terpene synthases that cyclize the diterpene precursor geranylgeranyl diphosphate (Figure 1B) [5][6][7][8][9]. The latter two structural elements, the configurations of the 6/10

Stability trends in carbocation intermediates stemming from germacrene A and hedycaryol

• Naziha Tarannam,
• Prashant Kumar Gupta,
• Shani Zev and
• Dan Thomas Major

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 1189–1197, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.101

• monoterpenes (C10), sesquiterpenes (C15), and diterpenes (C20). Enzymes such as monoterpene, sesquiterpene, and diterpene synthases act on geranyl diphosphate (GPP), farnesyl diphosphate (FPP), and geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP) to yield mono-, sesqui-, and diterpenes, respectively. These linear precursors

• (GPP, FPP, GGPP) undergo highly complex cyclisation cascades forming terpenes and terpenoids that often have great structural complexity. For class I terpene synthases this multistep process is initiated by a heterolytic C–O bond cleavage, separating the diphosphate and isoprenoid ion pairs [3][4]. The

• between the stability of hedycaryols (ΔΔEe) and C+···OH bond distances. Biosynthesis of (A) germacrene A and (B) hedycaryol from FPP. Here the abbreviations represent, FPP = farnesyl diphosphate, GAS = germacrene A synthase, OPP = diphosphate. O–C(cation) bond lengths (Å) in the hedycaryol cations

Enhancing structural diversity of terpenoids by multisubstrate terpene synthases

• Min Li and
• Hui Tao

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 959–972, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.86

• broad range of bioactivities [2][3]. Despite their stunning diversity, all terpenes are biosynthetically derived from two general isomeric C5 building blocks, dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP, 1) and isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP, 2), via the mevalonate (MVA) or methylerythritol 4-phosphate (MEP

• ) pathways. These two isomeric C5 precursors are further condensed by prenyltransferases (PTs) in successive elongation reactions, resulting in geranyl diphosphate (GPP, 3), farnesyl diphosphate (FPP, 4), geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP, 5), and longer prenyl diphosphates. The acyclic precursors are then

• , that bind trinuclear magnesium clusters for diphosphate abstraction, whereas class II TSs have a DXDD motif that acts as the catalytic acid. Recently, several novel unconventional TSs that share low sequence and structural similarities with classical TSs have been discovered and comprehensively

Confirmation of the stereochemistry of spiroviolene

• Yao Kong,
• Yuanning Liu,
• Kaibiao Wang,
• Tao Wang,
• Chen Wang,
• Ben Ai,
• Hongli Jia,
• Guohui Pan,
• Min Yin and
• Zhengren Xu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 852–858, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.77

• jannaschii (MjIPK). Thus, we have cloned genes coding EcThiM, MjIPK, isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase of E. coli (IDI), farnesyl diphosphate synthase of E. coli (IspA) and geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase of Pantoea agglomerans (CrtE) into the multiple cloning site-2 of pCDFDeut-1 to give pCDFDeut-TIIAE

Discovery and biosynthesis of bacterial drimane-type sesquiterpenoids from Streptomyces clavuligerus

• Dongxu Zhang,
• Wenyu Du,
• Xingming Pan,
• Xiaoxu Lin,
• Fang-Ru Li,
• Qingling Wang,
• Qian Yang,
• Hui-Min Xu and
• Liao-Bin Dong

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 815–822, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.73

• Terpenoids, encompassing over 11,000 compounds (http://dnp.chemnbase.com), are the most diverse group of natural products found in nature [1]. All terpenoids are biosynthesized from C5 carbon units, which are sourced from the isoprenoid building blocks isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl

• diphosphate (DMAPP) from the mevalonate (MVA) and 2-C-methyl-ᴅ-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathways [2][3]. Sesquiterpenoids, synthesized from farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) which is composed of three C5 units, hold significant biological and industrial value, particularly in the realm of perfumery [4]. Among

• calidoustene C, DrtB from Aspergillus calidoustus functions as a dual-functional enzyme, comprising two domains: a HAD-like hydrolase domain fused with a terpene cyclase domain. Initially, FPP is cyclized into the drimenyl diphosphate in a class II terpene cyclase manner, which is then processed by the

Research progress on the pharmacological activity, biosynthetic pathways, and biosynthesis of crocins

• Zhongwei Hua,
• Nan Liu and
• Xiaohui Yan

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 741–752, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.68

• (CCD), aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), uridine diphosphate glucosyltransferase (UGT). Structure of crocin and crocetin derivatives. A, SG, G, GB, and GT represent the common substituents of the crocin skeleton shown in Figure 1. Heterologous production of crocetin (1) and crocins. Acknowledgments We

Genome mining of labdane-related diterpenoids: Discovery of the two-enzyme pathway leading to (−)-sandaracopimaradiene in the fungus Arthrinium sacchari

• Fumito Sato,
• Terutaka Sonohara,
• Shunta Fujiki,
• Akihiro Sugawara,
• Yohei Morishita,
• Taro Ozaki and
• Teigo Asai

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 714–720, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.65

• AsCPS synthesized copalyl diphosphate and that AsPS then converted it to (−)-sandaracopimaradiene. Since AsPS and AsCPS have distinct domain organizations from those of known fungal TCs and are likely generated through fusion or loss of catalytic domains, our findings provide insight into the evolution

• complexity. TCs are generally classified into two main classes, class I and class II. Class I TCs initiate the cyclization by heterolytic cleavage of substrates to generate a diphosphate anion and an allylic carbocation, and class II enzymes start cyclization by protonating a double bond or an epoxide

• understand the evolutionary traits of TCs. Among terpenoids, labdane-related diterpenoids (LRDs) are an important class which includes biologically active molecules such as plant hormone gibberellins (Figure 1A). In their biosynthesis, class II TCs often synthesize copalyl diphosphate (CPP) or its

Switchable molecular tweezers: design and applications

• Pablo Msellem,
• Maksym Dekthiarenko,
• Nihal Hadj Seyd and
• Guillaume Vives

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 504–539, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.45

• substrate-dependent allosteric with potential applications for regulating cooperative catalytic reactions. Terpyridine-based tweezers have also been developed by Bencini, Lippolis, and co-workers for the selective recognition of diphosphate with [9]aneN3 unit 17 [48]. When closed with Zn(ClO4)2, the anion

• -binding moieties are preorganized for diphosphate binding, resulting in a 3-order of magnitude increase in affinity compared to the open form (log K = 6.9 vs 2.9). This positive allosteric response benefits from ion pairing with the metal cation in addition to the diphosphate interactions via hydrogen

• ). They developed tweezers with carboxamidoindole units connected in 4 and 4’ positions to a 2,2’-bipyridine unit for switchable anion recognition [62]. The uncomplexed open conformation displays a very low affinity for anions such as chloride, acetate, or diphosphate (log K < 2). The coordination of

Pseudallenes A and B, new sulfur-containing ovalicin sesquiterpenoid derivatives with antimicrobial activity from the deep-sea cold seep sediment-derived fungus Pseudallescheria boydii CS-793

• Zhen Ying,
• Xiao-Ming Li,
• Sui-Qun Yang,
• Hong-Lei Li,
• Xin Li,
• Bin-Gui Wang and
• Ling-Hong Meng

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 470–478, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.42

• pathway, the bergamotene sesquiterpenoid (I) is presumed to be a key intermediate cyclized from farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) via nerolidyl diphosphate (NPP) followed by a bisabolyl cation [14]. Subsequent oxidation (bishydroxylation) catalyzed by some oxygenase such as P450 would afford the key intermediate

Optimizations of lipid II synthesis: an essential glycolipid precursor in bacterial cell wall synthesis and a validated antibiotic target

• Milandip Karak,
• Cian R. Cloonan,
• Brad R. Baker,
• Rachel V. K. Cochrane and
• Stephen A. Cochrane

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 220–227, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.22

• . Finally, the benzyl-protecting groups in compound 7 were cleaved via hydrogenolysis, followed by co-evaporation of the resulting crude product in pyridine. This yielded a monopyridyl salt, setting the stage for the final lipid coupling and deprotection sequence. To establish the vital lipid diphosphate

Functions of enzyme domains in 2-methylisoborneol biosynthesis and enzymatic synthesis of non-natural analogs

• Binbin Gu,
• Lin-Fu Liang and
• Jeroen S. Dickschat

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1452–1459, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.104

• model was proposed that proceeds through the S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) dependent methylation of geranyl diphosphate (GPP) to 2-methyl-GPP (2-Me-GPP), followed by a terpene cyclisation to 1 (Scheme 1A) [10]. The cyclisation cascade requires isomerisation to (R)-2-methyllinalyl diphosphate [22], followed

• , the pathway to 1 can be reconstituted in vitro using the methyltransferase humMT from Micromonospora humi for the methylation of dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) to 2-methylisopentenyl diphosphate (2-Me-IPP) [25], followed by coupling with DMAPP to 2-Me-GPP and terpene cyclisation using farnesyl

• diphosphate synthase (FPPS) and 2MIBS from Streptomyces coelicolor [26] (Scheme 1B). Crystal structures of both enzymes have been obtained [27][28] and allowed for a deep structure-based investigation of 2MIBS through site-directed mutagenesis [29]. The predicted amino acid sequences of 2MIBS homologs from

Functional characterisation of twelve terpene synthases from actinobacteria

• Anuj K. Chhalodia,
• Houchao Xu,
• Georges B. Tabekoueng,
• Binbin Gu,
• Kizerbo A. Taizoumbe,
• Lukas Lauterbach and
• Jeroen S. Dickschat

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1386–1398, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.100

• either through diphosphate abstraction (for type I terpene synthases) or protonation of the substrate (type II terpene synthases). The resulting cationic species can then react in a cascade reaction via a series of cationic intermediates involving cyclisations, hydride or proton shifts, and skeletal

Synthesis of ether lipids: natural compounds and analogues

• Marco Antônio G. B. Gomes,
• Alicia Bauduin,
• Chloé Le Roux,
• Romain Fouinneteau,
• Wilfried Berthe,
• Mathieu Berchel,
• Hélène Couthon and
• Paul-Alain Jaffrès

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1299–1369, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.96

Recommendations for performing measurements of apparent equilibrium constants of enzyme-catalyzed reactions and for reporting the results of these measurements

• Robert N. Goldberg,
• Robert T. Giessmann,
• Peter J. Halling,
• Carsten Kettner and
• Hans V. Westerhoff

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 303–316, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.26

• biochemical reaction and the many chemical reactions that accompany it is the hydrolysis reaction of ATP (adenosine 5’-triphosphate) to {ADP (adenosine 5’-diphosphate) + phosphate}: The apparent reaction quotient for this reaction is And the apparent equilibrium constant is Here, (aq) denotes that the

Strategies to access the [5-8] bicyclic core encountered in the sesquiterpene, diterpene and sesterterpene series

• Cécile Alleman,
• Charlène Gadais,
• Laurent Legentil and
• François-Hugues Porée

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 245–281, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.23

Germacrene B – a central intermediate in sesquiterpene biosynthesis

• Houchao Xu and
• Jeroen S. Dickschat

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 186–203, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.18

• initial formation from farnesyl diphosphate, these neutral intermediates can become reprotonated for a second cyclisation to reach the bicyclic eudesmane and guaiane skeletons. This review summarises the accumulated knowledge on eudesmane and guaiane sesquiterpene hydrocarbons and alcohols that

• , including the monoterpene precursor geranyl diphosphate (GPP) [1], the precursor for sesquiterpenes farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) [2], geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP) towards diterpenes [3], and the sesterterpene precursor geranylfarnesyl diphosphate (GFPP) [4]. It has been demonstrated recently, that even

• farnesylfarnesyl diphosphate (FFPP) can serve as a precursor to triterpenes [5], a compound class that was believed to be solely derived from squalene. Terpene synthases convert these linear precursors through cationic cascade reactions into terpene hydrocarbons or alcohols [6][7][8]. For type I terpene synthases

Characterization of a new fusicoccane-type diterpene synthase and an associated P450 enzyme

• Jia-Hua Huang,
• Jian-Ming Lv,
• Liang-Yan Xiao,
• Qian Xu,
• Fu-Long Lin,
• Gao-Qian Wang,
• Guo-Dong Chen,
• Sheng-Ying Qin,
• Dan Hu and
• Hao Gao

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 1396–1402, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.144

• synthases in pursuit of new terpenoids [15][16][17]. It is generally accepted that the FC-type diterpene skeleton is formed from geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP) via a concerted C1,11–C10,14-bicyclization, followed by a C2,6-cyclization [18][19][20][21]. Theoretically, according to the configuration of

Make or break: the thermodynamic equilibrium of polyphosphate kinase-catalysed reactions

• Michael Keppler,
• Sandra Moser,
• Henning J. Jessen,
• Christoph Held and
• Jennifer N. Andexer

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 1278–1288, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.134

• ). As discussed before, the conversion of a nucleotide diphosphate to the corresponding triphosphate is normally the last step in the biomimetic synthesis of NTPs, and might have a substantial influence on the yield of the whole cascade. A biomimetic cascade published by Whitesides and co-workers for

Enzymes in biosynthesis

• Jeroen S. Dickschat

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 1131–1132, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.116

• geranylgeranyl diphosphate, into sesqui- or diterpenes, respectively. As has been described recently, even farnesylfarnesyl diphosphate can be converted into triterpenes, a substance class that was previously believed to originate exclusively from squalene by class II terpene synthases [1]. These conversions

Anti-inflammatory aromadendrane- and cadinane-type sesquiterpenoids from the South China Sea sponge Acanthella cavernosa

• Shou-Mao Shen,
• Qing Yang,
• Yi Zang,
• Jia Li,
• Xueting Liu and
• Yue-Wei Guo

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 916–925, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.91

• diphosphate (E,E-FPP) as their linear precursor (Scheme 1). The 6,7-bond formation was triggered by eliminating the pyrophosphate group of E,E-FPP yielding a monocyclic carbocation intermediate A, followed by the 6,11-closure via deprotonation to afford bicyclogermacrene (B) containing a gem

• isomerized to nerolidyl diphosphate (NPP), followed by the 6,7-bond formation to generate carbocation intermediate I (Scheme 1, II) [31]. Sequential 1,3-hydride shift and 1,6-cyclization occurred to afford cadinyl cation (J). Further 1,3-hydride shift and deprotonation on J resulted in cadina-1(6),4-diene (L

Efficient production of clerodane and ent-kaurane diterpenes through truncated artificial pathways in Escherichia coli

• Fang-Ru Li,
• Xiaoxu Lin,
• Qian Yang,
• Ning-Hua Tan and
• Liao-Bin Dong

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 881–888, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.89

• cyclase) act on geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGDP) to perform regio- and stereoselective cyclizations or skeleton rearrangement reactions via carbocation chemistry to form diverse and versatile carbon skeletons; and ii) multiple post-modification enzymes, most often cytochrome P450s, decorate the carbon

• minimum C5 isoprenoid building blocks isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP), which are produced in the cell via one of two pathways: i) the mevalonate (MVA) pathway includes seven steps from acetyl-CoA (A-CoA); and ii) the 2-C-methyl-ᴅ-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway

• overexpression in E. coli [19]. Isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase (IDI) from E. coli, which balances IPP and DMAPP in vivo, was also included in our construct. To initially test the efficiency of this two-step artificial pathway, we constructed strains DL10001 (phoN, ipk and idi plus the lycopene-producing genes