Synthesis of (S)-2-amino-8-oxodecanoic acid (Aoda) and apicidin A

The synthesis of (S)-2-amino-8-oxodecanoic acid, a constituent of the cyclic tetrapeptides, the apicidins, was accomplished under photolytic conditions in the presence of tri-n-butyltin hydride using glutamic acid. This enabled a total synthesis of apicidin A to be completed.