The microbial transformation of prostaglandins

(±)-Δ8(12)-15-Dehydro-PGE1(III), (±)-Δ8(12)-PGE1(IV), and (±)-15-epi-Δ8(12)-PGE1(V) have been synthesized from the readily available starting material (I), and compound (III) has been stereoselectively reduced by micro-organisms to either (+)- or (–)-(V).