Structure Determination and Biosynthesis of a Novel Metabolite of Fusarium Culmorum, Apotrichodiol

A novel dead-end metabolite of Fusarium culmorum was isolated and characterized (Zamir, L. O., and Devor, K. A. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 15348-15353). This 3 alpha, 13-dihydroxy-apotrichothec-9-ene is herein given the trivial name of apotrichodiol to indicate its basic structure. The characterization of apotrichodiol was established through the application of spectroscopic techniques (ultraviolet, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, COSY, and DEPT experiments) on the natural product as well as on its diacetate derivative. The mode of folding of its precursor farnesyl pyrophosphate was derived from feeding experiments with 3,4-[13C2]mevalonolactone. 13C-NMR assignments were also made of 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol and sambucinol which were derived from these feedings with enriched mevalonolactone.