Trisporic acids and their biosynthetic precursors represent a family of powerful fungal pheromones and morphogenetic factors. A highly flexible synthetic protocol is described that (i) provides rapid access to nonfunctionalized early trisporoids from β-ionone,(ii) includes a regiospecific oxidative functionalization of β-ionone leading to 1-acetoxy-β-ionone giving access to functionalized trisporoids, and (iii) utilizes a biotransformation of early synthetic ...