Natural Diels-Alderases: Elusive and Irresistable #MMPMID26495876
Klas K; Tsukamoto S; Sherman DH; Williams RM
J Org Chem 2015[Dec]; 80 (23): 11672-85 PMID26495876show ga
Eight examples of biosynthetic pathways wherein a natural enzyme has been identified and claimed to function as a catalyst for the [4+2] cycloaddition reaction, namely, Diels-Alderases, are briefly reviewed. These are discussed in the context of the mechanistic challenges associated with the technical difficulty of proving that the net formal [4+2] cycloaddition under study, indeed proceeds through a synchronous, mechanism and that the putative biosynthetic enzyme deploys the pericyclic transition state required for a Diels-Alder cycloaddition reaction.