Chloromethane, a Novel Methyl Donor for Biosynthesis of Esters and Anisoles in Phellinus pomaceus.

Chloromethane (CH(3)Cl), a gaseous natural product released as a secondary metabolite by many woodrotting fungi of the family Hymenochaetaceae, has been shown to act as a methyl donor for biosynthesis of methyl esters of benzoic and furoic acid in the primary metabolism of Phellinus pomaceus. The broad-specificity methylating system could esterify a wide range of aromatic and aliphatic acids. In addition to CH(3)Cl, both bromo- and iodomethanes acted as methyl donors.