The everninomicins. Biosynthetic studies.

The biosynthetic pathways involved in the formation of four everninomicin antibiotics were studied. Carbon-14 labelled substrates added to liquid cultures of Micromonospora carbonacea var. aurantiaca revealed that acetate, malonate and glucose were good precursors. Degradation of the antibiotics revealed the primary importance of acetate and malonate for the synthesis of the dichloroisoeverninic acid, an aromatic moiety commonto all of the four everninomicins studied, thus indicating its relationship to the biosynthesis of orsellinic acid. The incorporation of the methyl group of methionine into the methoxy group of dichloroisoeverninic acid could also be demonstrated. The remainder of the everninomicin molecule is apparently derived principally from glucose.