147. The chemistry of bacteria. Part VII. The structure of violacein

Physiological Aspects of Violacein Biosynthesis in Nonproliferating Cells

“…This would correspond to an extinction coefficient of 18.22 X 106 cm2 per mole at 565 m,u, assuming that two moles of tryptophan yield one mole of pigment. This assumption seems reasonable in view of the possible structures for violacein suggested by Ballantine et al (1957b). Their analyses were consistent with a 2,3-substituted pyrrole, a 1,3-substituted pyrrole or a 2,4substituted pyridine.…”

Simple indole alkaloids and those with a nonrearranged monoterpenoid unit

“…The overall yield was 53%. A short synthesis of the bacterial pigments deoxyviolacein (217a) and violacein (217b), isolated from Chromobacterium violaceum, 127 has been achieved in 20 and 14% overall yields from indole (218a) and 5-benzyloxyindole (218b), respectively (Scheme 39). 128 Demethylasterriquinone B1 (219), isolated from strains of Pseudomassaria sp., 129 has been reported to be a novel insulin receptor activator that mimics the function of insulin.…”