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The Structure and Biogenesis of Certain Antibiotics

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Fortschritte der Arzneimittelforschung / Progress in Drug Research / Progrès des recherches pharmaceutiques

Abstract

Speculations regarding the biogenesis of natural products, particularly those of plant origin, have excited the interest of organic chemists for more than fifty years, and several basic ideas have persisted in spite of the technical impossibility of putting them to experimental test. The use of biochemical techniques involving labelled atoms, coupled with various other developments such as microchemistry and chromatography have now served to provide verification of some of these earlier ideas. The hypothesis that many complex natural products, including aromatic compounds, were built up from acetyl units was advanced by Collie in 19071) and, as a result of modern biochemical research is now known to be essentially correct. The well-known isoprene rule as a basis for terpenoid structure has also now been provided with solid biochemical backing. Similarly, the early ideas on amino-acids as precursors of alkaloids date back to a paper by Robinson in 19172). A more recent biogenetic hypothesis is based upon the growing realisation that free radical reactions play an important part in biochemical processes, and this has led to some novel biogenetic ideas which will be referred to. With the advent of the antibiotics, the range of available natural products has increased enormously both in number and type.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pharmaceuticals Division, Imperial Chemical Industries Limited, Alderley Park, Macclesfield, Cheshire, England

    W. A. Sexton

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  1. Pharmazeutisch-chemisches Laboratorium, Sandoz A.G., Basel, Switzerland

    Ernst Jucker

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Sexton, W.A. (1960). The Structure and Biogenesis of Certain Antibiotics. In: Jucker, E. (eds) Fortschritte der Arzneimittelforschung / Progress in Drug Research / Progrès des recherches pharmaceutiques. Fortschritte der Arzneimittelforschung / Progress in Drug Research / Progrès des Recherches Pharmaceutiques, vol 2. Birkhäuser Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7038-2_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7038-2_9

  • Publisher Name: Birkhäuser Basel

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