Erythroidine biosynthesis

Other intermediates in erythraline biosynthesis were proved to be 6.143), (5)-erysodienone 6.146), and 2-epierythratine [as 6.145) and all the results are consistent with the suggested pathway (Scheme 6.28). The lactonic erythroidines, e.g. 6.147), arise from... 

Early experiments on Erythrina alkaloid biosynthesis carried out by Leete and Ahmad (1966) confirmed that tyrosine is a precursor of the erythroidines and that a symmetrical intermediate is involved. Several speculative schemes for Erythrina... 

The biosynthesis of these novel pyridine analogues of the dienoid Erythrina alkaloids is of considerable interest and it seems likely that they arise by a variant of the pathway leading to the lactonic alkaloids a- and jS-erythroidine (cf. Fig. 5). Thus oxidative ring openings of the C16-C17 bond of erysovine (lb) followed by amination could afford erymelanthine directly. 

Leete E, Ahmad A (1966) Biosynthesis of the Erythrina alkaloids. The incorporation of Tyrosine 2-C into Erythroidines. J Am Qiem Soc 88 4722-4727... 

The lactonic erythroidines, e.g., (63), arise from bases of the erythraline type in a sequence which clearly involves aromatic ring scission — a rare thing in plant alkaloid biosynthesis. 

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