Bioproduction of Cinchona Alkaloids by the Endophytic Fungus Diaporthe sp. Associated with Cinchona ledgeriana

• Published in: Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin Vol. 60; no. 10; pp. 1301 - 1304
• Main Authors: Maehara, Shoji, Simanjuntak, Partomuan, Kitamura, Chinami, Ohashi, Kazuyoshi, Shibuya, Hirotaka
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan 01.10.2012; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Subjects: Ascomycota - chemistry; Ascomycota - metabolism; bioproduction; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Cinchona alkaloid; Cinchona Alkaloids - chemistry; Cinchona Alkaloids - isolation & purification; Cinchona Alkaloids - metabolism; Cinchona ledgeriana; Diaporthe sp; endophyte; quinine; Rubiaceae - microbiology; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization
• ISSN: 0009-2363; 1347-5223
• DOI: 10.1248/cpb.c12-00545

We report that an endophytic filamentous fungus species of the genus Diaporthe isolated from Cinchona ledgeriana (Rubiaceae) produces Cinchona alkaloids (quinine, quinidine, cinchonidine, and cinchonine) upon cultivation in a synthetic liquid medium. This study provides evidence that Cinchona alkaloids are produced not only in Cinchona plant cells, but also in the endophytic microbe cells, and will help to elucidate the relationship between endophytic microbes and their host plants.