Aflatoxins biosynthetic pathway

Shier, W.T. et al.. Yellow pigments used in rapid identification of aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus strains are anthaquinones associated with the aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway, Bioorg Chem., 33, 426, 2005. 

Inhibit the biosynthetic or secretory processes responsible for aflatoxin contamination. This last approach could be the ultimate generic control method since the aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway is common to all aflatoxin contamination problems. 

Figure 21 Aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway from hexanoyl CoA to versicolorin B.

Figure 22 Aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway from versicolorin B to aflatoxins B-i and Gi.

Cotty PJ, Bhatnagar D Variability among atoxigenic Aspergillus flavus strains in ability to prevent aflatoxin contamination and production of aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway enzymes. Appl Environ Microbiol 1994 60 2248-2251. 

Figure 1. Clustered genes (A) and the aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway (B).

Figure 10.2 The sterigmatocystin and aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway. The structures of the intermediates are on the left, the names of the intermediates in the middle and the A. nidulans biosynthetic genes which encode the enzymes required to convert one intermediate to the next precursor are indicated on the right. Gene names followed by a question mark i.e., stcN) indicates that the gene is predicted, not proven, to function at this particular step in the ST pathway.

EHRLICH, K.C., CARY, J.W., MONTALBANO, B.G., Characterization of the promoter for the gene encoding the aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway regulatory protein AflR, Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 1999,1444,412-417. 

Table 11.1 Aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway cluster genes... 

The Sequence of the Aflatoxin Biosynthetic Pathway Elucidation by Using Blocked Mutants, Enzyme Inhibitors, and Conversion of Potential Precursors Biosynthetic Scheme References... 

A kinetic pulse-labelling technique for the detection of transitory intermediates on the aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway has been described. It has been applied to both sterigmatocystin (85) formation in Aspergillus versicolor amd aflatoxin formation in A. parasiticus. The results are largely in accord with the accepted sequence of intermediates. However, one... 

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