THE FIRST SYNTHESIS OF THE STREPTOMYCES DERIVED ANTIBIOTIC U-62162

U-62162, a member of the manumycin family of antibiotics, has been pre pared as a mixture of diastereoisomers and shown to contain a syn-hydr oxy epoxide nucleus and a 1,3-syn-disposed dimethyl unit in the upper side chain; the cornerstone of the synthetic route utilises organometa llic addition to a monoprotected quinone epoxide-the first time this a pproach has been successfully employed to prepare a manumycin antibiot ic.