Total Synthesis of Macrolactin A with Versatile Catalytic, Enantioselective Dienolate Aldol Addition Reactions

A highly convergent total synthesis of macrolactin A (1) utilizes modern asymmetric catalytic C–C coupling methods. The longest linear sequence in the route is 16 steps with an average yield of 86% per step. This total synthesis is valuable, because 1, which has been shown to possess activity against HIV, is not readily accessible from its natural source, a taxonomically unclassified deep‐sea bacterium.