Biosynthesis of cylindrospermopsin.

Studies on the biosynthesis of cylindrospermopsin (1), a potent hepatotoxin associated with the cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, indicate that 1 is an acetogenin with guanidinoacetic acid serving as the starter unit of the polyketide chain. Feeding experiments show that C14 and C15 of 1 are derived from C1 and C2 of glycine, respectively, and C4 through C13 arise from five contiguous acetate units attached head to tail. The methyl carbon on C13 originates from the C(1) pool. The starter unit, established by the incorporation of [guanidino-(13)C,alpha-(15)N]-guanidinoacetic acid into N16 and C17 of 1, does not appear to be formed from glycine by known amidination pathways. The origin of the NH-CO-NH segment in the uracil ring is also unknown.