Claviceps fusiformis

Ergot Alkaloids.—In connection with the biosynthesis of the ergot alkaloids it is of interest to note that 7V-methyl-4-dimethylallyltryptophan (49) has been isolated from cultures of Claviceps fusiformis grown anaerobically the presence of (49) could not be detected in cultures grown under normal aerobic conditions. An early stage in the biosynthesis of the alkaloids is the introduction of the allylic hydroxy-group, e.g. (50)- (51) whether the -methylation precedes or follows hydroxyla-tion is not known, but it seems certain that iV-methylation occurs before the cyclization-decarboxylation stage that results in formation of the tricyclic chano-clavines. 

San MF, Lavin P, Garcia A, Garcia G. Anamorphic states of Claviceps africana and Claviceps fusiformis (Ascomycetes, Clavicipitaceae) associated to different grasses in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Rev Mex Micol 13 52-57, 1997. 

Chahal SS, Gill GS, Sharma SB. Germination of sclerotic and ergot development by ascospores of Claviceps fusiformis in pearl millet. PI Dis Res 4 137-140, 1988. 

Chahal SS, Rao VP, Thakur RP. Variation in morphology and pathogenicity in Claviceps fusiformis. the causal agent of pearl millet ergot. Trans Br Mycol Soc 84 325-332, 1985. 

Prakash HS, Muralidhara Rao B, Gopinath A, Shetty HS. Stimulation of sclerotial germination of Claviceps fusiformis. Geobios 14 244-246, 1987. 

Rathi AS, Panwar MS. Setaria verticillata—a new host record of Claviceps fusiformis Loveless. Indian J Mycol Plant Pathol 23 332, 1993. 

Siddiqui MR, Khan ID. Renaming Claviceps microcephala ergot fungus on Pennisetum typhoides in India as Claviceps fusiformis. Trans Mycol Soc Japan 14 195-198, 1973. 

Thakur RP, Rao VP, King SB. Influence of temperature and wetness duration on infection of pearl millet by Claviceps fusiformis. Phytopathology 81 835-838, 1991. 

Thakur RP, Rao VP, Williams RJ. The morphology and disease cycle of ergot cause by Claviceps fusiformis in pearl millet. Phytopathology 74 201-205, 1984. 

Banks GT, Mantle PG, Szczyrbak CA. Large-scale production of clavine alkaloids by Claviceps fusiformis. J Gen Microbiol 82 345-361, 1974. 

Although several previous reports claimed that the enzyme had been purified, Gebler and Poulter (1992) appear to have been the first to fully characterize the activity of the purified DMAT synthase. The enzyme was purified from Claviceps fusiformis ATCC 26245 [erroneously annotated in type specimen collections as a C. purpurea strain (Pazoutova and Tudzynski, 1999)]. The monomeric size was estimated at 53 kDa, and by gel filtration analysis the native enzyme was determined (at 105 kDa) to be a homodimer. Unlike other prenyltransferases, no metal ion requirement has been noted. However, when assayed in a buffer with 4 mM Ca2+, the purified protein gave a specific activity of 500 nmol/min/mg, essentially the same as with 4 mM Mg2+, but approximately twice that of the measured without added divalent cations and with the chelator EDTA included in the assay buffer. These divalent metal cations eliminated negative cooperativity of substrate binding observed both for dimethylallyl diphosphate and L-tryptophan, indicating that Ca2+ and Mg2+ probably had allosteric effects. In buffer with 4 mM MgCl2 the KM for dimethylallyl diphosphate was 8 jlM, and the KM for L-tryptophan was 12 xM. The enzyme product was authenticated by mass spectrometry, UV spectrometry, and -NMR. 

Nagy A, Zalai K, Manczinger L, Ferenczy L. Interspecific protoplast fusion between Claviceps fusiformis and Claviceps purpurea auxotrophic mutants. Abstract Book, 7th IUMS Congress, Prague, Czech Rep., July 3-8, 1994, p 454. 

Willingale J, Mantle PG. Stigmatic constriction in pearl millet following infection by Claviceps fusiformis. Physiol Mol Plant Pathol 30 247-257, 1987. 

Use of solid state fermentation for the production of ergot alkaloids is an attractive proposition. It was reported that the production of total ergot alkaloids by Claviceps fusiformis in solid state fermentation was 3.9 times... 

India were attributed to Claviceps fusiformis ergots on pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) (24 5). 

King GS, Waight ES, Mantle PG, Szczyrbak CA (1977) The Structure of Clavicipitic Acid, an Azepinoindole Derivative from Claviceps fusiformis. J Chem Soc Perkin Trans 1 2099... 

Barrow, K.D. and Quigley, ER. (1975) Ergot alkaloids III The isolation of N-Methyl-4-dimethylallyltryptophan from Claviceps fusiformis. Tetrahedron Lett., 1975,4269-4270. 

The results of these studies that were performed with the strains not generally available can hardly be transferred to other strains and, therefore, general applicability or even reproducibility is sometimes questionable. Critical assessment of such results is always necessary. Therefore, all results obtained with, e.g. Claviceps fusiformis SD-58 that was made generally available by Prof. D.Groger from Halle an der Saale (Germany) are especially valuable. 

Following procedure as a practical example describes submerged cultivation of Claviceps fusiformis SD-58 for clavine alkaloid production. The strain can be obtained, e.g., from American Type Culture Collection (ATCC). 

Kfen, V., Chomatova, S., Bfemek, J., Pilat, P. and Rehacek, Z. (1986c) Effect of some broad-spectrum antibiotic on the high-production strain Claviceps fusiformis Wl. BiotechnoL Lett., 8, 327—332. 

Kfen, V., Ludvik, J., Kofronova, O., Kozova, J. and Rehacek, Z. (1987b) Physiological activity of immobilized cells of Claviceps fusiformis during long-term semicontinuous cultivation. Appl. Microbiol. BiotechnoL, 26, 219—226. 

Roy, S. and Kumar, A. (1985) Production of alkaloids by ergot (Claviceps fusiformis Lov.) on Pennisetum typhoides (Burm.) Stapf and Hubb. in vitro. Neuman, K.H. and Bart, W. (eds.) Primary and Secondary Metabolism of Plant Cell Cultures. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, pp. 117-123. 

Elymoclavine- difructoside 30 Claviceps fusiformis saprophytic Flieger et al., 1989a... 

Eich, E. and Siehen, R. (1985) 8a-Hydroxylierung von 6-Nor-agroclavine und Lysergine dutch Claviceps fusiformis. Planta Medica, 282-283. 

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