Chemists in New Zealand have synthesised the novel bis-spiroacetal fragment of a toxin produced by algal blooms.

The spirolides are a toxic class of marine natural product, produced by algal blooms and then taken up by shellfish. The accumulated toxin makes the shellfish poisonous - if the shellfish are eaten, the spirolides poison the victim by disrupting ion channel function.

In order to further study the spirolide family of toxins, for which the absolute stereochemistry is yet to be established, Margaret Brimble and co-workers at the University of Auckland have now efficiently synthesised the bis-spiroacetal fragment of this natural product. Efforts are now underway to make the complementary spiroimine unit of the molecule.

Ion channels have been highlighted as a way to target various medical conditions, from pain to epilepsy, stroke and cancer. Molecules that disrupt ion channel function are therefore of great interest as the lead compounds for new drugs, said Brimble.

James Mitchell Crow