Biosynthesis of the marine antibiotic pentabromopseudilin. 2. The pyrrole ring

The biosynthesis of the potent marine antibiotic, pentabromopseudilin (1), was investigated. Feeding studies with Alteromonas luteoviolaceus were performed on a defined medium. D,L-[5-C-13]proline was incorporated symmetrically, demonstrating that the pyrrole ring of pentabromopseudilin is derived from proline.