Neurospora erassa

The pathway of biosynthesis of ergothioneine has been studied in ergot Claviceps purpurea) by Heath and co-workers, and in Neurospora erassa by the author and his co-workers. The results of both of these independent lines of research are in agreement, indicating a single biosynthetic route for ergothioneine in fungi. 

There is little doubt that acetate or compounds which may be metabolized by way of a 2-carbon unit are efficient precursors of cholesterol. Acetate, - ethanol, acetone, - acetaldehyde, and to a lesser extent, pyruvate, undergo biolo cal conversion to cholesterol in intact animals and in tissue preparations. Investigations with yeast, as well as with a mutant strain of Neurospora erassa which required acetate for growth, have shown that acetate is the major source of the carbon atoms of ergosterol (XI), a plant sterol. When this mutant was grown on a medium... 

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