Attempting to Create a Pathway to 15-Deacetylcalonectrin with Limited Accumulation in Cultures of Mutants: Insight into Trichothecene Biosynthesis Machinery.

The compound 15-deacetylcalonectrin (15-deCAL) is a common pathway intermediate in the biosynthesis of trichothecenes. This tricyclic intermediate is metabolized to calonectrin (CAL) by trichothecene 15--acetyltransferase encoded by . Unlike other trichothecene pathway gene mutants, the Δ mutant produces lower amounts of the knocked-out enzyme's substrate 15-deCAL, and instead, accumulates higher quantities of earlier bicyclic intermediate and shunt metabolites.