Holotype strain Aspergillus obscurus - for cultivation of mevinolin in the form of lactone or open hydroxy carboxylic acid for reduction of cholesterol levels

摘要

Holotype strain Aspergillus obscurus n. sp. MV-1 NCAIM(P)F (Budapest) 001189 (3.04.1992) is new. Also claimed is the prepn. of beta,delta-di-hydroxy-7- (1,2,6,7,8,8a-hexahydro-2,6-dimethyl -8-(2'-methyl-butyryloxy) -naphthalen-1-yl)-heptanoic acid delta-lactone of formula (I) and/or beta, delta-dihydroxy-7- (1,2,6,7,8,8a-hexahydro- 2,6-dimethyl-8-(2'-methylbutyryloxy)- naphthalen-1-yl) heptanoic acid of formula (II) comprising cultivating a strain of Aspergillus obscurus which is capable of producing (I) and/or (II) esp. the strain given above, at 25-30 deg.C in a nutrient medium contg. assimilable C and N sources and opt. mineral salts and then sepg. the product(s) formed from the nutrient broth, isolating in the form of lactone (I) and opt. purifying. USE/ADVANTAGE - (I) (also known as Mevinolin) inhibits cholesterol biosynthesis and can be used to reduce cholesterol levels. (II) is an inhibitor of the reductase enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A which catalyses the formation of an intermediate in cholesterol synthesis, namely mevalonic acid. The advantage of using (I) is that cholesterol formation is prevented in a later phase of the biosynthesis and thus toxic biosynthesis intermediates of steroid structure are not formed. The novel microorganism is capable of producing (I) and (II) on a sufficiently large scale. By acidifying the broth, the prod. is obtd. in the form of (I) or (II) almost entirely bound to the fungal mycelium so that after filtering work up dose not require large filtrate volumes.