Jones, MatthewSchwartz, BrettWillis, AnthonyBanwell, Martin2015-12-101523-7060http://hdl.handle.net/1885/55316The pentacyclic framework associated with the alkaloid (-)-lycorine (1) can be assembled in as few as six steps from the enantiomerically pure cis-1,2-dihydrocatechol 3 which is itself readily available on a large scale through the whole-cell biotransformation of bromobenzene. The methodology has been used in developing the first synthesis of compound 2, a derivative of lycorine.Keywords: Amaryllidaceae alkaloid; bromobenzene; enzyme; lycorine; nitrobenzoic acid derivative; phenanthridine derivative; article; chemistry; metabolism; synthesis; X ray crystallography; Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids; Bromobenzenes; Crystallography, X-Ray; Enzymes; N200910.1021/ol901364n2016-02-24