Biosynthesis of the algal pheromone fucoserratene by the freshwater diatom Asterionella formosa (Bacillariophyceae)

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(98)00660-7

The freshwater diatom Asterionella formosa (Bacillariophyceae) produces octa-1,3E,5Z-triene (6) (fucoserratene), previously identified as the sexual pheromone of the brown seaweed Fucus serratus. Fucoserratene is biosynthesised from eicosa-5,8,11,14,17-pentaenoic acid (7) by oxidative cleavage of the corresponding 12-hydroperoxy intermediate 8. The biosynthetic sequence was established using eicosa5,8,11,14-tetraen-17-ynoic acid (18), a structural analogue of 7, which was converted to octa-1,3E-dien-5-yne (21), a structural analogue of 6, by homogenates of Asterionella formosa. In addition, a general approach to highly unsaturated eicosanoids from arachidonic acid is described.