10.1039/b905159g
The research primarily focuses on the total synthesis of coronatines, a group of natural phytotoxins produced by Pseudomonas syringae, and their biological activities, specifically their impact on stomatal opening in plants. The study employs the exo-selective Diels–Alder reaction as a key step to synthesize four stereoisomers of coronatine, highlighting the significant differences in stomatal opening activity between the enantiomers. The research uses a variety of analytical techniques, including NMR, HPLC, ESI-MS, HRMS, IR spectroscopy, and optical rotation measurements, to monitor the progress of the synthesis and to characterize the synthesized compounds. The synthetic route also enables the preparation of various derivatives of coronatine for further structural and biological studies. Additionally, the study examines the biological activities of these synthetic derivatives on stomatal opening in Ipomoea tricolor (morning glory), comparing their effects with those of naturally occurring compounds like jasmonic acid and jasmonyl-L-isoleucine. The results indicate that the stereochemistry of coronatine is crucial for its activity, suggesting it acts as a molecular mimic of jasmonyl-L-isoleucine in plant guard cells.