lysergic acid
- BiotechnologyGenetic Reprogramming of the Ergot Alkaloid Pathway of Metarhizium brunneum
Ergot alkaloids derived from LA or DHLA are the bases for numerous pharmaceuticals with applications in the treatment of dementia, migraines, hyperprolactinemia, and other conditions. However, extraction of ergot alkaloids from natural sources is inefficient, and their chemical synthesis is expensive. The ability to control and redirect ergot alkaloid synthesis in fungi may allow more efficient production of these important chemicals...
- Environmental Microbiology | SpotlightSeveral Metarhizium Species Produce Ergot Alkaloids in a Condition-Specific Manner
Our discovery of ergot alkaloids in fungi of the genus Metarhizium has agricultural and pharmaceutical implications. Ergot alkaloids produced by other fungi in the family Clavicipitaceae accumulate in forage grasses or grain crops; in this context they are considered toxins, though their presence also may deter or kill insect pests. Our data report ergot alkaloids in...
- Enzymology and Protein EngineeringBiosynthesis of the Pharmaceutically Important Fungal Ergot Alkaloid Dihydrolysergic Acid Requires a Specialized Allele of cloA