skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Explorations into the biosynthesis of bioscorine

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:5642693

The biosynthesis of dioscorine in Dioscorea hispida has been studied by the feeding of putative precursors labelled at specific positions with {sup 2}H, {sup 3}H, and {sup 14}C. Administration of (3-{sup 14}C)3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaric acid to D. hispida by the wick method afforded dioscorine labelled preferentially at the C{sub 10} position implying that the biosynthetic pathway to the acetate-derived half of the dioscorine skeleton is going through this compound. Administration of ethyl (6-{sup 14}C)orsellinate to D. hispida by the wick method failed to give an appreciable incorporation into dioscroine thereby disproving an alternative mechanism describing the formation of the acetate-derived half of the dioscorine skeleton. Two attempts to simulate the alternative mechanism by oxidatively cleaving ethyl orsellinate also failed, further disfavoring this mechanism. Administration of (2,3){sup 13}C{sub 2}, {sup 14}C{sub 2}succinic acid, (3-{sup 14}C)aspartic acid and (7a-{sup 14}C)tryptophan by the leaf painting method gave very low incorporations into dioscorine making determination of the source of the nicotinic acid half of the dioscorine skeleton inconclusive. Administration of (6-{sup 2}H, {sup 3}H)nicotinic acid to D. hispida by the wick method afforded dioscorine exhibiting complete retention of {sup 3}H thereby disfavoring a mechanism involving a 3,6-dihydropyridine intermediate in the formation of the dioscorine skeleton.

Research Organization:
Minnesota Univ., Minneapolis, MN (USA)
OSTI ID:
5642693
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English