Researches on Ergot Fungus

Part 20. Isolation of a Mutant Productive of Agroclavine rather Excellently even in Submerged Culture

Abstract

1) It was found that the mutant All, which previously obtained from the cultures of the Agropyrum-type race irradiated with radium, has the property to produce more agroclavine than the original strain not only in surface culture but also in submerged culture.
2) This mutant produces agroclavine at the rate of 50_??_60mg and 3_??_5mg per 100 cc of the culture filtrate in surface culture and in shaking culture, respectively.
3) This mutant has more aerobic nature than the original strain, and, in this respect, it can be recognized as more evolved strain than the latter.
4) This mutant, as previously reported, can not be parasitic on the original host plants, but it may have newly acquired the ability to be parasitic on some other plants.
5) In the classification of ergot fungi, it seems desirable to take account of the principal alkaloid they produce.
Addendum:- Recently we have found by means of paper partition chromatography that all the races of ergot fungi we studied, including the Agropyrum-type, could produce agro-clavine, elymoclavine [see our report this journal, 25, 458 (1952)], and another unknown water soluble alkaloid, besides ergometrine and peptide-type alkaloids, both in nature and in saprophytic culture. we have reported this fact supplementing ABE's previous consi-deration on the production of alkaloids in ergot fungus at the Annual Meeting of Agr. Chem. Soc. Japan held at University of Tokyo on April 5, 1952.