Syntheses in enantiopure form of four diastereoisomeric naphthopyranquinones derived from aphid insect pigments.

The first syntheses are described of the four enantiopure naphthopyranquinones (1R,3R,4S)- and (1R,3R,4R)-3,4-dihydro-4,7,9-trihydroxy-1,3-dimethylnaphtho[2,3-c]pyranquinone (quinone A 1 and quinone A' 2) and their two C-3 epimers, the (1R,3S,4S)- and (1R,3S,4R)-diastereoisomers 5 and 6, using enantiopure lactate as the source of asymmetry. Key factors in these syntheses are the maintenance of stereochemical integrity throughout the sequences and intramolecular diastereoselective cyclisations of the titanium phenolates of phenolic lactaldehydes. For these cyclisations the differing degree of diastereoselectivity is explained as are the stereochemistries of the product 2-benzopyran-4,5-diols.

Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae produces a novel cyclic trihydroxamate siderophore, vicibactin.

Trihydroxamate siderophores were isolated from iron-deficient cultures of three strains of biovar , two from Japan (WSM709, WSM710) and one from the Mediterranean (WU235), and from a Tn5-induced mutant of WSM710 (MNF7101). The first three all produced the same compound (vicibactin), which was uncharged and could be purified by solvent extraction into benzyl alcohol. The gallium and ferric complexes of vicibactin were extractable into benzyl alcohol at pH 5.