Production of trans-L-epoxysuccinic acid by fungi and its microbiological conversion to meso-tartartic acid.

During a study of organic acid formation by pure cultures of fungi isolated from soil, one fungus was discovered to produce, under the conditions employed, substantial amounts of an uncommon organic acid. This acid was present in the culture filtrates and was formed from glucose or from ethanol as the sole source of carbon. Apart from cell material and C02, the acid was the predominant metabolic product. This paper describes the isolation and identification of the acid as trans-L-epoxysuccinic acid. It has the following structure: