A Minor Dihydropyran Apocarotenoid from Mated Cultures of Blakeslea trispora

Abstract

The heterocyclic C15 apocarotenoid 1 was isolated from mated cultures of the strains F986 (+) and F921 (−) of Blakeslea trispora. This new compound formed during sexual interaction is a minor constituent of the culture media and its structure was elucidated by spectroscopic data, including 2D-NMR. A plausible biosynthetic pathway involving a double degradation of β-carotene, followed by several oxidations of the resulting monocyclofarnesane C15 fragment is proposed.

Keywords

• Blakeslea trispora
• apocarotenoid
• dihydropyrane
• isolation
• structural elucidation