title: How many secondary carbocations are involved in the biosynthesis of avermitilol?
abstract: Quantum chemical calculations were used to assess the viability of proposed secondary carbocations as intermediates in the biosynthesis of avermitilol. One, a cyclopropylcarbinyl cation, was found to be a true minimum, while another, a simple secondary cation, was found to exist only as part of a transition structure for water capture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of California-Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States.
authors.forename: Young J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Dean J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Tantillo
mesh_terms: D002412:Cations / Q000737:chemistry; D003500:Cyclization; D008956:Models, Chemical; D015394:Molecular Structure; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D002412:Cations; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C552382:avermitilol; D014867:Water