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Updated: Feb 23, 2026

A Customizable Approach for the Enzymatic Production and Purification of Diterpenoid Natural Products
Published on: October 4, 2019
A Unifying Synthesis Approach to the C18-, C19-, and C20-Diterpenoid Alkaloids
Kevin G M Kou1, Svitlana Kulyk1, Christopher J Marth1
1Department of Chemistry, University of California , Berkeley, California 94720, United States.
Abstract:
The secondary metabolites that comprise the diterpenoid alkaloids are categorized into C18, C19, and C20 families depending on the number of contiguous carbon atoms that constitute their central framework. Herein, we detail our efforts to prepare these molecules by chemical synthesis, including a photochemical approach, and ultimately a bioinspired strategy that has resulted in the development of a unifying synthesis of one C18 (weisaconitine D), one C19 (liljestrandinine), and three C20 (cochlearenine, paniculamine, and N-ethyl-1α-hydroxy-17-veratroyldictyzine) natural products from a common intermediate.
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