A Convenient Synthesis Method for Methylenomycin B and Its Application to Methylenomycin A

A convenient synthesis method for methylenomycin B and its homolog, methylenomycin A, has been developed. Methylenomycin B, 2,3-dimethyl-5-methylene-2-cyclopentenone (3) was synthesized: i) by methylation of Mannich derivative prepared from morpholine and 2,3-dimethyl- 2-cyclopentenone (5) or ii) by treatment of formalin with sodio derivatives of 2,3-dimethyl-5-formyl-2-cyclopentenone (7a) and 2,3-dimethyl-5-ethoxalyl-2-cyclopentenone (7b), both of which were easily prepared from 5 and ethyl formate or ethyl oxalate. 2,3-Dimethyl-2,3-epoxy-5-methylenecyclopentanone (2) was similarly prepared from the epoxide compound of 5 and ethyl oxalate. The bioassay ofmethylenomycin B and its related compounds against bacteria (B. subtilis, S. aureus, Ps. aeruginosa and E. coli) was also conducted. Methylenomycin A (1) and its desepoxy compound (17) were also prepared from 4-carboxy-2,3-dimethyl-2-cyclopentenone (15) in the same procedure as described above.