Model
Digital Document
Publisher
Florida Atlantic University
Description
The ecteinascidins are a family of marine derived alkaloids with potent antitumor activity. Ecteinascidins 743 and 729 are the prime targets due to their superior antitumor activity. beta-Mercaptopyruvic acid is a proposed intermediate in the biosynthesis of ecteinascidins 743/729. A novel synthesis of beta-mercaptopyruvic acid using an enzymatic system was achieved. This was accomplished by trapping the equilibrium between beta-mercaptopyruvic acid and 2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-dithiane-2,5-dicarboxylate using oxidative deamination of cysteine by amino acid oxidase.
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