Total synthesis of mycothiazole, a polyketide heterocycle from marine sponges

Mycothiazole isolated from marine sponges has been efficiently synthesized in a convergent manner. The key reactions involve the thiazole synthesis by dehydrogenation of the thiazolidine with chemical manganese dioxide (CMD), the Stille coupling, and the Nagao asymmetric acetate aldol reaction using the chiral 1,3-thiazolidine-2-thione. This synthesis clearly established the absolute configuration of natural mycothiazole to be (R).