Dideoxyverticillin A
Dideoxyverticillin A, also known as -11,11′-dideoxyverticillin A, is a complex epipolythiodioxopiperazine initially isolated from the marine fungus Penicillium sp. in 1999. It has also been found in the marine fungus Bionectriaceae, and belongs to a class of naturally occurring 2,5-diketopiperazines.
Dideoxyverticillin A potently inhibits the tyrosine kinase activity of the epidermal growth factor receptor, exhibits antiangiogenic activity, and has efficacy against several cancer cell lines. Its reported anticancer mechanism is that it acts as a farnesyl transferase inhibitor. Dozens of semi-synthetic anticancer compounds have been made from dideoxyverticillin A. Dimeric derivatives are reported to have better anticancer activity.
The enantioselective first total synthesis of -11,11′-dideoxyverticillin A, the structure of which contains many sterically congested, contiguous stereogenic centers as well as acid- and base-labile and redox-sensitive functionality, was biosynthetically inspired and achieved with high levels of chemical sophistication.