This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Greenspan, M D Articles by Yudkovitz, J B Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Greenspan, M D Articles by Yudkovitz, J B

Mevinolinic acid biosynthesis by Aspergillus terreus and its relationship to fatty acid biosynthesis.

ABSTRACT

Mevinolinic acid, the open acid form of mevinolin, which is a metabolite of Aspergillus terreus, has been shown to be a competitive inhibitor of the enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (Alberts et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 77:3957-3961, 1980). The biosynthesis of mevinolinic acid was studied by examining the incorporation of [1-14C]acetate and [methyl-14C]methionine into the molecule. These isotopes were rapidly incorporated into mevinolinic acid, with [1-14C]acetate and [methyl-14C]methionine incorporation being linear for at least 10 and 30 min, respectively. A comparison of acetate incorporation into mevinolinic acid and fatty acids indicated that mevinolinic acid biosynthesis increased with a maximum between days 3 and 5 of growth; at this time cell growth had ceased and fatty acid biosynthesis was negligible. Hydrolysis of the mevinolinic acid and isolation of the products showed that [1-14C]acetate and [methyl-14C]methionine were incorporated into the 2-methylbutyric acid side chain as well as into the main (alcohol) portion of the molecule.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Hajjaj, H., Niederberger, P., Duboc, P. (2001). Lovastatin Biosynthesis by Aspergillus terreus in a Chemically Defined Medium. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 2596-2602 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Schimmel, T. G., Coffman, A. D., Parsons, S. J. (1998). Effect of Butyrolactone I on the Producing Fungus, Aspergillus terreus. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 64: 3707-3712 [Abstract] [Full Text]