The biosynthesis of the aflatoxins
Abstract
A new metabolite of Aspergillus versicolor, demethylsterigmatocystin (II) has been converted into 5-hydroxydihydrosterigmatocystin (IV) specifically labelled with 14C in the O-methyl group—this compound is shown to be a biogenetic precursor of aflatoxins B2 and G2, (IX) and (XI), respectively, in A. parasiticus: a second new metabolite of A. versicolor has been shown to be 6-deoxyversicolorin-A (XII).