Biosynthesis of Pinguisone in an Axenic Culture of the Liverwort Aneura pinguis

Abstract

Pinguisone accumulated in cultured gametophytes of Aneura pinguis to a significantly high level. A biosynthetic study on the formation of pinguisone was carried out by feeding [2-¹³C]-acetate to the cultured gametophytes. Pinguisone was labeled at an adequate level to determine the labeling positions by a ¹³C-NMR analysis. The labeling pattern indicated two-methyl migration and C-C bond cleavage of the main chain in farnesyl diphosphate in the formation of pinguisone.