Aristolochene
Encyclopedia
Aristolochene is a bicyclic
sesquiterpene
produced by certain fungi
including the cheese
mold
Penicillium roqueforti
. It is biosynthesized
from farnesyl pyrophosphate
by aristolochene synthase
and is the parent hydrocarbon of a large variety of fungal toxins
.
Bicyclic molecule
A bicyclic molecule is a molecule that features two fused rings. Bicyclic molecules occur widely in organic and inorganic compounds.Fusion of the rings can occur in three ways:...
sesquiterpene
Sesquiterpene
Sesquiterpenes are a class of terpenes that consist of three isoprene units and have the molecular formula C15H24. Like monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes may be acyclic or contain rings, including many unique combinations...
produced by certain fungi
Fungus
A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds , as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...
including the cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
mold
Mold
Molds are fungi that grow in the form of multicellular filaments called hyphae. Molds are not considered to be microbes but microscopic fungi that grow as single cells called yeasts...
Penicillium roqueforti
Penicillium roqueforti
Penicillium roqueforti is a common saprotrophic fungus from the family Trichocomaceae. Widespread in nature, it can be isolated from soil, decaying organic matter, and plants. The major industrial use of this fungus is the production of blue cheeses, flavouring agents, antifungals, polysaccharides,...
. It is biosynthesized
Biosynthesis
Biosynthesis is an enzyme-catalyzed process in cells of living organisms by which substrates are converted to more complex products. The biosynthesis process often consists of several enzymatic steps in which the product of one step is used as substrate in the following step...
from farnesyl pyrophosphate
Farnesyl pyrophosphate
Farnesyl pyrophosphate is an intermediate in the HMG-CoA reductase pathway used by organisms in the biosynthesis of terpenes, terpenoids, and sterols...
by aristolochene synthase
Aristolochene synthase
In enzymology, an aristolochene synthase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reactionHence, this enzyme has one substrate, 2-trans,6-trans-farnesyl diphosphate, and two products, aristolochene and diphosphate....
and is the parent hydrocarbon of a large variety of fungal toxins
Mycotoxin
A mycotoxin is a toxic secondary metabolite produced by organisms of the fungus kingdom, commonly known as molds. The term ‘mycotoxin’ is usually reserved for the toxic chemical products produced by fungi that readily colonize crops...
.
External links
- (+)-Aristolochene at ChEBIChEBIChemical Entities of Biological Interest, also known as ChEBI, is a database and ontology of molecular entities focused on 'small' chemical compounds, that is part of the Open Biomedical Ontologies effort...