Bioorganic chemistry of natural products that control plant pathogens

Developing new agrochemicals is essential for sustainable agriculture and global food security. Our group focused on natural products that control plant pathogens, conducting synthetic research across three key areas of interest: antimicrobial compounds, phytoalexins, and microbial signaling molecules. We established new methods for producing chiral allylic alcohols as useful synthetic intermediates for natural product synthesis via the enantioselective synthesis of antimicrobial agents such as peniciaculins. In the phytoalexin research, the synthesis of biosynthetic intermediates enabled the elucidation of enzyme functions in terms of their biosynthesis and the confirmation of absolute configurations, deepening our understanding of plant defense systems. Furthermore, the total synthesis and biosynthetic studies of Phytophthora mating hormones revealed a unique chemical relay system regulating sexual reproduction. These findings emphasize the importance of synthetic chemistry in advancing natural product research and offer new strategies for crop protection. Our interdisciplinary approach paves the way for future innovations in combating agricultural pests and diseases.