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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/T18936/01
Title: Total Synthesis of Tagetitoxin
Principal Investigator: Porter, Professor MJ
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
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Department: Chemistry
Organisation: UCL
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 October 2004 Ends: 30 September 2007 Value (£): 115,747
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Biological & Medicinal Chem. Chemical Synthetic Methodology
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Chemicals Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
The compound tagetitoxin was isolated in 1981 from a pathogenic bacterium. It has attracted widespread interest from the molecular biology community due to its ability to selectively inhibit RNA polymerase III, one of the three different RNA polymerases present in eukaryotic cells. Its plant growth inhibitory properties also mean that it may find use as a herbicide. A structure was proposed for tagetitoxin in 1989, but has yet to be confirmed unequivocally. A successful synthesis of tagetitoxin would thus serve to confirm the proposed structure and to increase supplies of this interesting compound.In a previous EPSRC-funded project, we developed novel synthetic methodology which would be of use in the synthesis of tagetitoxin; over the course of this project we hope to utilise this new methodology and to complete the first synthesis of tagetitoxin.The work will be carried out over the course of three years by a PhD student at University College London. Following the completion of our synthesis, we aim to instigate collaborative research in which our synthetic expertise may be used in conjunction with molecular biology both to probe the mode of action of tagetitoxin and to generate analogue structures with modified activity or specificity.
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