Nivalenol and Derivatives

By using a Fusarium strain known to be an abundant producer of diacetoxyscirpenol, 3-acetylvomitoxin (104) was converted to fusar-enone (132) (299). 

The sequence of hydroxylation steps leading to nivalenol (130) and its derivatives is unproven, but could follow logically from the pattern of secondary metabolites isolated from F. equiseti (5) 4,15-diacetoxyscir-penol (121) the diol (134) — 4,15-diacetylnivalenol (133). The genes and enzymes concerned with these (hypothetical) oxidative steps have not been investigated. The diol (134) has not been reported from any other Fusarium spp. 

The work outlined in Sections 3.1.3.2. and 3.1.3.3., above, deals mainly with the biosynthesis of 3-acetylvomitoxin by F. culmorum and of T-2 toxin by F. sporotrichioides, some strains of both these Fusaria produce nivalenol and derivatives, possibly by appropriate modification of the vomitoxin and T-2 toxin pathways. 

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