Polyphasic taxonomy of Penicillium subgenus Penicillium A ... - CBS

J.C. FRISVAD &R.A.SAMSONLater other producers of compactin were reported asP. citrinum (Endo et al., 1976; Lam et al., 1981), P.cyclopium (Doss et al., 1986; Basaraa et al., 1998),Paecilomyces viridis (Murakawa et al., 1994) and P.aurantiogriseum (Wagschal et al., 1996). All thesereports were based on misidentified strains, and thecorrect name of producer of compactin was shown tobe P. solitum (Frisvad and Filtenborg, 1989). Furtherproducers in subgenus Penicillium include P. hirsutum(Frisvad and Filtenborg, 1989).The benzodiazepine-like alkaloids cyclopeptin,dehydrocyclopeptin, cyclopenin and cyclopenol werenamed after P. cyclopium, but the original was laterre-identified as P. solitum (Frisvad and Filtenborg,1989). P. cyclopium actually produces these alkaloidsconsistently (Lund and Frisvad, 1995). 3-methoxyviridicatin is of special interest, because it isactive against HIV (Heguy et al., 1998). 3-methoxyviridicatin is produced by P. albocoremium,P. allii, P. aurantiocandidum, P. commune, P. crustosum,P. cyclopium, P. discolor, P. echinulatum, P.freii, P. hirsutum, P. neoechinulatum, P. palitans, P.polonicum, P. radicicola, P. solitum, P. venetum andP. vulpinum. Much more viridicatin than 3-methoxyviridicatin is produced by the creatine positivespecies P. commune, P. crustosum, P. discolor, P.echinulatum, P. palitans, P. solitum and P. vulpinum,however.The antifungal pharmaceutical griseofulvin isproduced by P. aethiopicum, P. coprophilum, P.dipodomyicola, P. griseofulvum, P. persicinum, and P.sclerotigenum.The anticholerolemic agents, the pyripyropens, areproduced by P. coprobium and P. concentricum.The acetylcholinesterase inhibiting arisugacins areproduced by the territrem producing species P. echinulatumand P. cavernicola (Smedsgaard, Svendsenand Frisvad, in prepraration).Many other extrolites have been found in theterverticillate Penicillia as lead compounds, and timewill show if any of these have a future as importantpharmaceuticals. Many of these are listed in thesynoptic key below.38