Diels-Alder cycloaddition reaction biological example

Thus, Ghosez et al. were successful in showing that A,iV-dimethyl hydrazones prepared from a,/3-unsaturated aldehydes react smoothly in normal electron demand Diels-Alder reactions with electron-deficient dienophiles [218, 219]. Most of the more recent applications of such 1-aza-l,3-butadienes are directed towards the synthesis of biologically active aromatic alkaloids and azaanthra-quinones [220-224] a current example is the preparation of eupomatidine alkaloids recently published by Kubo and his coworkers. The tricyclic adduct 3-19 resulting from cycloaddition of naphthoquinone 3-17 and hydrazone 3-18 was easily transformed to eupomatidine-2 3-20 (Fig. 3-6) [225]. 

The controversy on the existence of in vivo Diels-Alder reactions cannot be put to rest here, but the numerous examples of natural products containing cyclohexene groups and the catalytic effectivity of biological surroundings support the idea of in vivo Diels-Alder reactions. Apart from cell-free extracts, RNA-based mixtures of metals also show catalytic activity and it was demonstrated that this catalyst system can be quite effective as an artificial Diels-Alder-ase . We will show that water, the prime solvent of biosynthesis, also catalyses [4 -+- 2]-cycloadditions. Considering that biosyntheses are often of exceptional selectivity, it is clear that understanding biomimetic transfonna-tions in water as the solvent is an important goal of modem chemistry. The possibilities offered by and the reasons for Diels-Alder catalysis in water will be the main topic of this chapter. 

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