Biosynthetic incorporation of advanced precursors into dehydrocurvularin, a polyketide phytotoxin from Alternaria cinerariae

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(98)01003-5

Biosynthesis of the polyketide, dehydrocurvularin 1, by Alternaria cinerariae was examined by incorporation experiments with N-acetylcysteamine (NAC) thiolesters of potential labeled di-, tri-, tetra-, and pentaketide assembly intermediates, 5-10. The results show that diketide and α,β- unsaturated tetraketide precursors can be utilized intact, whereas a saturated tetraketide can not, thereby suggesting that 1 is the initial PKS product. Curvularin 2 and 1 could not be interconverted by A. cinerariae, but 8-hydroxycurvularin 3 and 1 are transformed into each other by component(s) in the fermentation media.