FERMENTATION OF 7-(1,2,6,7,8,8A(R)-HEXA-HYDRO-2(S), 6(R)-DIETHYL-8 (S)-HYDROXY-1(S)-NAPHTHYL-3(R)- DIHYDROXYHEPTANOIC ACID (TRIOL ACID),I) BY MUTANT STRAINS OF ASPERGILLUS TERREUS

摘要

Novel strains of Aspergillus terreus have been discovered which provide fermentation production of at least 5.2 g/L of 7-¢1,2,6,7,8,8a(R)-hexahydro-2(S), 6(R)-dimethyl-8(S)-hydroxy-1(S)-naphthyl!-3(R), 5(R)-dihydroxyheptanoic acid (triol acid; I), but with production of not more than 0.85 g/L of (triol acid)-related side products and specifically less than 0.10 mg/liter of lovastatin. The predominant fermentation product triol acid, may be converted in a straightforward manner to its lactone form, in which it is an inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase and thus useful as an antihyper-cholesterolemic agent, and in which it may also serve as an intermediate for preparation of other HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors.