Antibiotic substance produced by the basidiomycetes Pleurotus mutilus (Fr.) Sacc. and P. passeckerianus Pilat.: Kavanagh et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 37, 570 (1951); 38, 555 (1952). Isoln procedure: Anchel, J. Biol. Chem. 199, 133 (1952). Structure: D. Arigoni, Gazz. Chim. Ital. 92, 884 (1962); A. J. Birch et al., Chem. Ind. (London) 1963, 374; Tetrahedron Suppl. 8, 359 (1966). Stereochemistry: D. Arigoni, Pure Appl. Chem. 17, 331 (1968). Fermentation and biosynthetic study: F. Knauseder, E. Brandl, J. Antibiot. 29, 125 (1976). Mechanism of action: G. Hoegenauer, Antibiotics vol. 5, pt. 1, F. E. Hahn, Ed. (Springer-Verlag, New York, 1979) p 344. Synthetic studies: E. G. Gibbons, J. Org. Chem. 45, 1540 (1980); M. Kahn, Tetrahedron Lett. 21, 4547 (1980). Total synthesis: E. G. Gibbons, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 104, 1767 (1982).