Total synthesis and antibacterial activity of dysidavarone A.

A concise total synthesis of dysidavarone A possessing the new "dysidavarane" carbon skeleton has been accomplished by a convergent strategy, involving a stereoselective reductive alkylation of a Wieland-Miescher type ketone under Birch conditions and an advantageous intramolecular palladium-catalyzed α-arylation of a sterically hindered ketone. Dysidavarone A showed potent antimicrobial and antiproliferative activities based on characteristic morphological changes of treated cells.