Secondary metabolites resulting from degradation of PR toxin by Penicillium roqueforti.

PR toxin is a secondary metabolite of the fungus Penicillium roqueforti. It is lethal to rats, mice, and cats. Usually, the amount of PR toxin in the culture medium decreases from its maximum on day 15 to zero within 3 to 4 days. We found that two were secondary metabolites produced in the culture medium of this fungus while the production of PR toxin was decreasing. We isolated and purified the two compounds in pure and colorless crystalline form. On the basis of elemental analysis and mass, 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared, and UV spectroscopies, the two compounds were identified as PR-imine (C17H21O5N) and PR-amide (C17H21O6N). The structures of both compounds and of PR toxin (C17H20O6) were closely related, and the peak production of PR toxin appeared earlier than those of PR-imine and PR-amide. Moreover, PR toxin was transformed to PR-imine when PR toxin was incubated with the culture medium on a given culture day. Thus, we propose that PR toxin is degraded into PR-imine and PR-amide in the culture medium of P. roqueforti.