Synthesis and use of stereospecifically deuterated analogues of palmitic Acid to investigate the stereochemical course of the delta11 desaturase of the processionary moth.
Thaumetopoea pityocampa pheromone glands contain desaturases that, after several sequential reactions from palmitic acid, catalyze the formation of a unique enyne fatty acid, which is the immediate sex pheromone precursor. In this article, we describe the synthesis of different stereospecifically deuterium-labeled and isotopically tagged palmitic acid probes needed to decipher the stereochemical course of the T. pityocampa Delta(11) desaturase. The synthesis of probes has been carried out by a chemoenzymatic route, in which the key step is the kinetic lipase-catalyzed resolution of racemic mixtures of secondary propargyl alcohols. The presence of the acetylenic bond simplifies the absolute configuration determination of the resolved alcohols. Moreover, it allows the introduction of the isotopic tag by deuteration. By use of the probes thus prepared, experimental evidence is presented that the Delta(11) desaturase of T. pityocampa transforms palmitic acid into (Z)-11-hexadecenoic acid by removal of the pro-(R)-hydrogen atoms from both C11 and C12.
Departamento de Química Orgánica Biológica, Instituto de Investigaciones Químicas y Ambientales de Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 08034, Barcelona, Spain. jlaqob@iiqab.csis.es
José-Luis
JL
Abad
Gemma
G
Villorbina
Gemma
G
Fabriàs
Francisco
F
Camps
D000818:Animals; D003903:Deuterium / Q000737:chemistry; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases / Q000737:chemistry*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009036:Moths / Q000737:chemistry*; D010169:Palmitic Acids / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D013045:Species Specificity; D013237:Stereoisomerism
D010169:Palmitic Acids; D012724:Sex Attractants; D003903:Deuterium; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases