FROM EPIRAIKOVENAL, AN INSTRUMENTAL NICHE-EXPLOITATION SESQUITERPENOID OF SOME STRAINS OF THE MARINE CILIATED PROTIST EUPLOTES-RAIKOVI, TO AN UNUSUAL INTRAMOLECULAR TELE-DIENONE-OLEFIN [2+2]-PHOTOCYCLOADDITION

It is shown that strains of the marine ciliate Euplotes raikovi are subtly variable in their production of secondary metabolites. Strains GA8 and 39W from Mediterranean and SB8 from Californian coasts produce the sesquiterpenoid epiraikovenal (3), while strains GA8 and SB8 also produce secoepiraikovenal (4), which play an instrumental niche-exploitation role and have also taxonomic significance. Comparison of 3 and 4 with raikovenal (2) and its putative biogenetic precursor 1, which have similar roles in the conspecific strain Morl from Casablanca coast in the Atlantic Ocean, inspired us the first case of intramolecular tele-dienone-olefin [2+2] photocycloaddition, exemplified here by the transformation of 1 into ent-3. This served also to unequivocally clarify the stereochemical relationship between 3 and 2.