Diversification of Monoterpene Indole Alkaloid Analogs through Cross-Coupling

Catharanthus roseus monoterpene indole alkaloid analogs have been produced via a combination of biosynthetic and chemical strategies. Specifically, introduction of a chemical handle—a chlorine or a bromine—into the target molecule by mutasynthesis, followed by postbiosynthetic chemical derivatization using Pd-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions robustly afforded aryl and heteroaryl analogs of these alkaloids.