Studies of terpenoid biosynthesis. Part 29. The cleavage of the sterol side chain in the biosynthesis of demethoxyviridin

Abstract

The structures of a group of C₆ and C₇ alcohols obtained from Nodulisporium hinnuleum have been elucidated. When biosynthesized from [2-¹⁴C] mevalonic acid they have been shown to have a specific activity consistent with a common origin with their co-metabolite, demethoxyviridin. The number of [2-²H₂] mevalonoid hydrogen atoms which were incorporated suggests that they were formed initially at the aldehyde oxidation level.