Total synthesis of peumusolide A, NES non-antagonistic inhibitor for nuclear export of MEK

The first total synthesis of peumusolide A (1) has been achieved by combination of regio- and stereo-selective aluminum-mediated hydroiodination to 2-yn-1-ol and enantioselective reduction of 4-en-1-yn-3-one with the chiral oxazaborolidine as the key reactions. This total synthesis has unequivocally established our proposed absolute structure of 1.