Syntheses of Bile Pigments. Part 16. Synthesis of a vinyl‐substituted 2,3‐Dihydrobilinedione: Possible role of this new class of bile pigments in phycobilin biosynthesis

Abstract

AbstractThe total synthesis of racemic cis‐2,3,181, 182, ‐tetrahydroprotobiliverdin IXα dimethyl ester (19b), which is identical with the dimethyl ester of rac‐4, is described (Scheme 2). Under virtually neutral conditions, in solution, this bile pigment isomerized within a few min to racemic Z‐phycocyanobilin dimethyl ester (rac‐5b). Likewise, acid‐catalyzed allyl rearrangement of 3‐vinyl‐substituted cis‐ and trans‐2,3‐dihydrodipyrrin‐1(10H)‐ones 11c and 13c, respectively, yielded the corresponding ethylidene derivatives. In this case, however, the E‐isomer was formed stereo selectively from both substrates. The above results prove that, if protobiliverdin IXα (2) is transformed enzymatically to its 2,3,181, 182‐tetrahydro derivative, the latter would isomerize spontaneously to phycocyanobi‐lin. The biosynthesis of bacteriochlorophyll a and b from a common precursor bearing a vinyl group at C(8)may be straightforwardly explained in the same way.