Biosynthesis of the Pharmaceutically Important Fungal Ergot Alkaloid Dihydrolysergic Acid Requires a Specialized Allele of cloA.

ABSTRACT: Ergot alkaloids are specialized fungal metabolites that are important as the bases of several pharmaceuticals. Many ergot alkaloids are derivatives of lysergic acid (LA) and have vasoconstrictive activity, whereas several dihydrolysergic acid (DHLA) derivatives are vasorelaxant. The pathway to LA is established, with the P450 monooxygenase CloA playing a key role in oxidizing its substrate agroclavine to LA. We analyzed the activities of products of cloA alleles from different fungi relative to DHLA biosynthesis by expressing them in a mutant of the fungus Neosartorya fumigata that accumulates festuclavine, the precursor to DHLA. Transformants expressing CloA from Epichloë typhina × Epichloë festucae, which oxidizes agroclavine to LA, failed to oxidize festuclav

SUBMITTER: Arnold SL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5494617 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature