Syringolide 2 (1; n=2), an elicitor metabolite of the bacterial plant
pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato, has been synthesised in four
steps from D-xylulose. The key stage involves triple cyclisation of t
he putative biosynthetic intermediate 1-(3'-oxodecanoyl)-D-xylulose (9
), and provides evidence for the biosynthesis of the syringolides. Cop
yright (C) 1996 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd