Fungal, general survey

The earlier literature pertaining to this small group of indolizidine alkaloids was described in Volume 28 of this treatise (/). More recent coverage may be found in a general survey of indolizidine alkaloids from plant and fungal sources 14), and in a review on the synthesis of indolizidine alkaloids (555). 

This report is a general survey of the principal structural and morphological characteristics of the most common fungal polysaccharides. The four polysaccharides already mentioned generally are the most abundant and extensive information is generally available. Some other less characterized polysaccharides which however have interesting properties, will also be described. The focus of our review will be the correlation of crystalline structure and molecular conformation with morphological and functional features. 

The biosynthesis of organohalogens has seen enormous interest since the first survey, and several examples are mentioned earlier in the present review. Space does not allow for full coverage of this topic, but some additional examples are presented here. The reader is also directed to general reviews on the biosynthesis of marine natural products, many of which contain halogen (2398-2401), terrestrial fungal (basidiomycetes) metabolites (2402), and halogenated alkaloids (2403). 

The peroxidase field was reviewed in depth in two volumes published in 1991 (11). Enzymes belonging to the superfamily of plant, fungal, and bacterial peroxidases were reviewed in Volume II and additionally in two other texts (12,13). General reviews on heme peroxidases since 1992 include those published by Poulos and Fenna (14) and Poulos (15), which highlight structural comparisons and potential biotechnological applications of peroxidases, respectively. One of the present authors also surveyed the heme peroxidase literature in a review published in... 

In general, the polyacetylenes known to be antibiotic were not recognized first as polyacetylenes, then tested for activity, but rather the reverse. Antibacterial activity was observed in a fungal or plant extract, and when the active principle was isolated and characterized, it proved to be a polyacetylene. Of the following examples, the first five were detected as the result of the earhest surveys of Basidiomycetes for antibiotic activity, (Wilkins and Harris, 1944 Robbins et al., 1945 Hervey, 1947), the last four as the result of isolated investigations of antibiotic principles from three different types of organisms. 

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