Bioorganogermanium chemistry: Studies on C/Si/Ge bioisosterism

In context with systematic investigations on C/Si/Ge bioisosterism, the fol lowing studies were carried out: (a) synthesis and pharmacological characte rization of centrochiral enantiomerically pure germanium-based muscarinic a ntagonists; (b) synthesis and pharmacological characterization of a germani um-containing decapeptide; (c) studies on the metabolism of a germanium-bas ed drug in the rat; (d) synthesis of centrochiral enantiomerically pure ger manes using biotransformations with whole microoganisms or isolated enzymes . These investigations demonstrated that there are distinct bioisosteric re lationships between the C/Si/Ge analogues studied.