The microbiological oxidation of insect moulting hormones
Abstract
Crustecdysone (I) is degraded by a lysed mycelium of the micro-organisms Rhizopus arrhizus, Rhizopus nigricans and Curvularia lunata to give poststerone (VI) which is then transformed into rubrosterone (VIII); makisterone A (II) behaves similarly, muristerone A (III) gives a new product, identified as 5β,11α-dihydroxy-poststerone (VII), and ecdysone (IV) is not affected by these micro-organisms.