title: Biosynthesis of α-pyrones.
abstract: The α-pyrone moiety is a structural feature found in a huge variety of biologically active metabolites. In recent times new insights into additional biosynthetic mechanisms, yielding in such six-membered unsaturated ester ring residues have been obtained. The purpose of this mini-review is to give a brief overview of α-pyrones and the mechanisms forming the basis of their natural synthesis. Especially the chain interconnecting enzymes, showing homology to ketosynthases which catalyze Claisen-like condensation reactions, will be presented.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Bonn, Nußallee 6, 53115 Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Till F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Schäberle
keywords: biological activity; interconnecting ketosynthases; natural product; polyketides; α-pyrones