HYDROXYLATION OF SYNTHETIC ABIETANE DITERPENES BY ASPERGILLUS AND CUNNINGHAMELLA SPECIES - NOVEL ROUTE TO THE FAMILY OF DITERPENES ISOLATEDFROM TRIPTERYGIUM-WILFORDII

Several strains of filamentous fungi and yeasts were screened for thei r ability to oxidize the butenolide 1 (19-hydroxy 18(4-->3)-abeo-abiet a-3,8,11,13-tetraen-18-oic acid lactone), which is a synthetic diterpe ne analogue of compounds isolated from the perennial herb, Tripterygiu m wilfordii. Novel produces 7-13 were obtained from the filamentous fu ngus, Cunninghamella elegans, grown in SSBF medium and their structure s were determined by H-1- and C-13-nmr, ms, ir, and uv spectroscopy. C . e(egnns hydroxylated butenolide 1 at C-5 or C-7 on ring B and/or on the isopropyl side-chain at C-15 or C-16. Changing the growth medium t o PDB resulted in hydroxylation of 1 at C-7 only.