Discovery of brevijanazines from Aspergillus brevijanus reveals the molecular basis for p -nitrobenzoic acid in fungi.
Hang LiPaul M MirzayansMark S ButlerAlastair E LaceyDaniel VuongRachel ChenJohn A KalaitzisStephen A MoggachErnest LaceyAndrew M PiggottYit Heng ChooiPublished in: Chemical communications (Cambridge, England) (2022)
The brevijanazines are novel p -nitrobenzoylated piperazines isolated from Aspergillus brevijanus . Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis, X-ray crystallography and total synthesis. Heterologous biosynthesis, precursor feeding and in vitro microsomal assays unveiled the biosynthetic pathway to the brevijanazines, featuring a cytochrome P450 oxygenase that converts p -aminobenzoic acid to p -nitrobenzoic acid.