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A versiconal hemiacetal acetate converting enzyme in aflatoxin biosynthesis
D P Hsieh1, C C Wan, J A Billington
1Department of Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Davis 95616.
Abstract:
Conversion of the aflatoxin biosynthetic intermediate versiconal hemiacetal acetate (VHA) in a cell free extract of Aspergillus parasiticus ATCC 15517 is investigated. The enzymatic reaction is monitored by a method using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The major product of the enzymatic reaction is a water soluble compound not chloroform-extractable at pH 7.5. The product becomes chloroform extractable upon acidification of the reaction medium and is separated and quantitated by reversed-phase HPLC. It is tentatively identified as 'versiconal hemiacetal alcohol,' which is converted to versicolorin C (VC) upon acid treatment.