Tropane and related alkaloids

Tropane alkaloids comprise a large group of bases occurring predominantly i n the family of the Solanaceae. Structurally they are esters of carboxylic acids with tropine (3-hydroxy-8-aza-8-methyl- [3.2.1]-bicyclooctane) and ar e biosynthetically derived from amino acid and acetate precursors. Despite the relative structural simplicity of the alkaloids, their biosynthesis is not well understood from a mechanistic point of view. In this article the a vailable information pertaining to this question is summarized and discusse d in context with the information that is available from the analogous pell etierine class of alkaloids. A. new proposal for the mechanism of assembly of the acetate derived C-3 fragment of these alkaloids is introduced.