Total synthesis and stereochemical assignment of burkholdac B, a depsipeptide HDAC inhibitor

Three diastereomers of burkholdac B were prepared by total synthesis, enabling the full stereochemical assignment of the natural product. It is proposed that burkholdac B is identical to thailandepsin A independently isolated by Cheng from the same strain of Burkholderia thailandensis . Burkholdac B is the most potent among depsipeptide histone deacetylase inhibitors in growth inhibition of the MCF7 breast cancer cell line with an IC(50) of 60 pM.