OF4949, new inhibitors of aminopeptidase B. III. Biosynthesis

To elevate production of OF4949 by Penicillium rugulosum OF4949 and to elucidate the pathway of its biosynthesis, mutants were selected on the basis of their resistance to growth inhibition by phenylalanine analogs. A mutant resistant to m-fluorophenylalanine, strain No. M414, had 3-fold the production of the parent. In a study of the biosynthesis of OF4949-I and II, several 14C-labeled compounds were examined as possible precursors of OF4949. L-[14C]Tyrosine and L-[14C]asparagine were incorporated efficiently. Most of the radioactivity of L-[14C]tyrosine was found in the 4-methylisodityrosine (B2) or isodityrosine (B1) moieties, and that of L-[14C]asparagine was in the beta-hydroxyasparagine moiety.