Synthetic strategies towards mycolactone A/B, an exotoxin secreted by Mycobacterium ulcerans

Mycolactone A/B, a complex polyketidic macrolide secreted by Mycobacterium ulcerans, has been synthesized using catalytic and/or asymmetric reactions. Several palladium-catalyzed reactions were investigated for forging key σ-bonds as well as a particularly challenging hydroboration reaction of a functionalized and sterically demanding 1,1-disubstituted exo-alkene. The full account of these investigations is discussed.