Enzymatic formation of pyrrole-containing novel cyclic polyprenoids by bacterial squalene:hopene cyclase

A convergent synthesis provided two pyrrole-containing squalene analogues, in which a C20 isoprene unit is connected to pyrrole, 2-(geranylgeranyl)pyrrole and 2-(farnesyldimethylallyl)pyrrole. When incubated with recombinant squalene:hopene cyclase from Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius, 2-(farnesyldimethylallyl)pyrrole was enzymatically converted to a 10:1 mixture of a tricyclic and a bicyclic unnatural novel polyprenoids, whereas 2-(geranylgeranyl)pyrrole was not a substrate for the enzyme.