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The discovery and biological properties of four novel cholecystokinin antagonists produced by Aspergillus alliaceus is described. One of these was seven times more potent than the previously reported asperlicin.

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Feeding of 14C-labeled amino acids to resting cells of Aspergillus alliaceus strongly supported the intuitive hypothesis that asperlicin is biosynthesized from tryptophan, anthranilate and leucine. The resting cell system was used also to prepare 25 asperlicin analogs via directed biosynthesis in presence of analogs of tryptophan and leucine.

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Cyclopeptine synthetase, the key enzyme of benzodiazepine alkaloid biosynthesis in Penicillium cyclopium forms cyclo-(anthranoyl-phenylalanyl) from anthranilic acid, L-phenylalanine, the methyl group of L-methionine and ATP. The following in vitro measurable partial activities of the enzyme system were followed during the development of P. cyclopium: anthranilic acid and L-phenylalanine adenylyltransferase activities, and the ability for thioester-binding of L-phenylalanine to the enzyme protein. These activities became measurable at the beginning of the idiophase and reached a maximum 6 days after inoculation, i.e., the pattern of activity was similar to that of the other enzymes participating in the biosynthesis of the benzodiazepine alkaloids indicating that the activities of all enzymes of the pathway were coordinatedly expressed. Inhibitor experiments indicated that 48-55 h after inoculation a preprotein of anthranilic acid adenylyltransferase was formed, which later on became activated by a hitherto unknown mechanism.

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Balanced heterokarions were grown from Penicillium cyclopium aux-glu 1, a glutamic acid auxotroph producing benzodiazepine alkaloids of the cyclopenin-cyclopenol group, and P. viridicatum aux-met 1, a methionine auxotroph forming these alkaloids in traces only. In contrast to the hyphae of the parent strains, the hyphae of the heterokarions were dark orange-brown and grew well on media without the auxotrophic factors. In surface cultures they synthesized the benzodiazepine alkaloids cyclopenin and cyclopenol in amounts similar to those formed by the hyphae of P. cyclopium aux-glu 1. From the monokariotic conidiospores of the heterokarions homokariotic daughter strains were obtained which were similar to the parent strains in every respect. Hence no exchange of features of cyclopenin-cyclopenol biosynthesis took place between the parent strains at the stage of the heterokarion. This result indicates that the formation of cyclopenin and cyclopenol in P. cyclopium aux-glu 1 and the nearly complete lack of biosynthesis of these compounds in P. viridicatum aux-met 1 is encoded within the nucleus and is not influenced by plasmic genetic material.

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Using 13C-NMR and mass spectral analysis we have demonstrated that the N-10 nitrogen of anthramycin is biosynthetically derived from the indole-nitrogen of tryptophan. Our experimental approach was to bring a 15N atom, which is derived from L-[indole-15N]tryptophan, and a 13C atom which is derived from DL-[1-13C]tyrosine, into adjacent positions of anthramycin. From resonance intensities and 13C-15N spin-spin coupling in the 13C-NMR spectrum of didehydroanhydroanthramycin, a derivative of anthramycin, we could then determine the 13C enrichment at C-11 and the proportion of 13C bonded to 15N at N-10. These results when combined with mass spectral analysis and isotopic dilution measurements proved that the indole nitrogen of tryptophan was completely retained at N-10 of anthramycin.

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The regulation of tyrosine production in the anthramycin-producing organism Streptomyces refuineus var. thermotolerans has been studied with wild-type and tyrosine auxotrophic organisms. Growth of the auxotroph on minimal medium plus phenylalanine suggested that phenylalanine may increase the supply of tyrosine. In incubation with whole cells, tyrosine levels increased in response to added phenylalanine. However, no radiolabeled tyrosine was detected after incubation with 14C-phenylalanine. Thus, no phenylalanine hydroxylase is present. Phenylalanine was found to feedback inhibit prephenate dehydratase, resulting in an increase in NAD-dependent prephenate dehydrogenase activity, thus channeling prephenic acid toward tyrosine.

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The taxonomic description of Streptomyces spadicogriseus, a new species belonging to the Gray Series of streptomycetes as classified by Pridham and Tresner, is presented. This new species is distinguishable from the known members of the Gray Series. Streptomyces spadicogriseus produces anthramycin but bears no taxonomic relation to the known producer of the antibiotic: S. refuineus var. thermotolerans.

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This paper descirbes biosynthetic labeling experiments on the conversion of tyrosine to the C2- and C3-proline units of anthramycin, tomaymycin, and sibiromycin. The biosynthetic fate of all of the aromatic and side-chain hydrogens has been determined in each antibiotic by using dual tagged (3H/14C) and 2H-labeled tyrosine molecules. In addition, experiments uing [15N]tyrosine and the tritiated D and L isomers of tyrosine have shed some light on the biochemical reactions which take place at tha alpha position of tyrosine. On the basis of results of all these experiments, a biosynthetic scheme had been proposed to rationalize the apparent inconsistencies which occur between the results for the three antibiotics. This scheme proposes that a common main pathway involving proximal extradiol cleavage of Dopa and condensation to form the pyrrolo ring leads ultimately to a C-7 branch point compound. Parallel pathways from this central branch point compound lead by well-known biochemical transformations to the C2-and C3-proline units of anthramycin, tomaymycin, and sibiromycin. The reactions in these parallel pathways are suggested to be "cosmetic or after events".

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Biosynthetic intermediates between tryptophan and the anthranilate moieties of tomaymycin and sibiromycin have been suggested, based upon a combination of feeding experiments with either carbon-14-labeled substrates or competition experiments between radiolabeled tryptophan and unlabeled intermediates. In the case of sibiromycin and tomaymycin, substitution of the aromatic ring most likely takes place at the kynurenine stage. Feeding experiments with the anthramycin culture were inconclusive, most likely because of the cell impermeability.

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11-Demethyltomaymycin, an antitumor antibiotic produced by Streptomyces achromogenes, and its biologically inactive metabolite oxotomaymycin are biosynthesized from L-tyrosine, DL-tryptophan, and L-methionine. The anthranilate part of 11-demethyltomaymycin is derived from tryptophan probably via the kynurenine pathway. The predominant loss of tritium from DL-[5-3H]tryptophan, during its conversion to 11-demethyltomaymycin and oxotomaymycin is interpreted to mean by NIH shift rules, that the main pathway to the 5-methoxy-4-hydroxy anthranilate moiety is through hydroxylation at C-8 prior to hydroxylation at C-7. The methoxy carbon is derived from the S-methyl group of methionine by transfer of an intact methyl group. The ethylideneproline moiety of 11-demethyltomaymycin is biosynthesized from tyrosine, without a 1-carbon unit from methionine. The results of biosynthetic feeding experiments with L-[1-14C, 3- or 5-3H]tyrosine are consistent with a "meta" or extradiol cleavage of 6,7-dihydroxycyclodopa as has also been demonstrated previously for anthramycin and lincomycin A. An experiment in which L-[1-14C, Ala-2,3-3H]tyrosine was fed showed that both the beta hydrogens of this amino acids are retained in 11-demethyltomaymycin. It has been demonstrated in cultures and washed cell preparations that 11-demethyltomaymycin is enzymatically converted to oxotomaymycin by an intracellular constitutive enzyme. Conversion of oxotomaymycin to 11-demethyltomaymycin by these same preparations could not be demonstrated. The enzymatic activity associated with the conversion of 11-demethyltomaymycin to oxotomaymycin is not limited to the 11-demethyltomaymycin to oxotomaymycin is not limited to the 11-demethyltomaymycin production phase, since trophophase cells and even cells from 11-demethyltomaymycin nonproducing cultures of S. achromogenes were equally active in converting 11-demethyltomaymycin to oxotomaymycin.

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In studying the transformation of diazepam (7-chloro-1-methyl-5-phenyl-1,3-dihydro-2H-1,4-benzodiazepin-2-one) by fungi isolated from soil. N1-demethylation and cleavage of the diazepine ring were observed. Three metabolites: 7-chloro-5-phenyl-1,3-dihydro-2H-1,4-benzodiazepin-2-one, 2-acetamido-2"-benzoyl-4"-chloroacetanilide and 2-acetamido-2"-benzoyl-4"-chloro-N-methylacetanilide were isolated and identified.

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