Dictazoles: Potential Vinyl Cyclobutane Biosynthetic Precursors to the Dictazolines

Abstract

We report here the isolation of five new compounds, dictazoles A and B (1 and 2) and dictazolines C-E (5-7). Evidence is presented for the direct conversion of the cyclobutyl analogue 1 to its cyclohexyl constitutional isomer 5 via a vinyl cyclobutane rearrangement.