Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Enzymatic Synthesis of Epoxidized Metabolites of Docosahexaenoic, Eicosapentaenoic, and Arachidonic Acids
Published on: June 28, 2019
Recent developments in the chemistry, biology and medicine of the epothilones
K C Nicolaou1, A Ritzén, K Namoto
1Department of Chemistry and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA. kcn@scripps.edu
Abstract:
The epothilones have occupied center stage on the scenes of total synthesis, chemical biology and medicine for the last five years, no doubt because of their intriguing mode of action and unusually high potency against tumor cells, including multidrug-resistant cell lines. This article highlights the most recent advances within this exciting field. Thus, an overview of recent synthetic endeavors culminating in a new generation of total syntheses and analogues, some with higher potencies than the naturally occurring substances, will be given, and the chemical biology, in particular the current understanding of structure-activity relationships of the epothilones, will also be discussed in light of the latest biological results. In addition, the recently elucidated biosynthetic machinery of the natural epothilone-producing myxobacterium Sorangium cellulosum, as it is now understood, will be described. Finally, some preclinical and clinical studies will be summarized.
Related Concept Videos
Preparation of Epoxides
Epoxides result from alkene oxidation, which can be achieved by a) air, b) peroxy acids, c) hypochlorous acids, and d) halohydrin cyclization.
Epoxidation with Peroxy Acids
Epoxidation of alkenes via oxidation with peroxy acids involves the conversion of a carbon–carbon double bond to an epoxide using the oxidizing agent meta-chloroperoxybenzoic acid, commonly known as MCPBA. Since the O–O bond of peroxy acids is very weak, the addition of electrophilic oxygen of peroxy acids to...
Acid-Catalyzed Ring-Opening of Epoxides
Base-Catalyzed Ring-Opening of Epoxides
Role of Ephrin-Eph Signalling in Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal
Pharmacogenetics of Drug Targets: β₂-Adrenergic Receptors, Apo E, Thymidylate Synthase
Production of Pharmaceuticals

