Averufanin is an aflatoxin B1 precursor between averantin and averufin in the biosynthetic pathway.
Wild-type Aspergillus parasiticus produces, in addition to the colorless aflatoxins, a number of pigmented secondary metabolites. Examination of these pigments demonstrated that a major component was an anthraquinone, averufanin. Radiolabeling studies with [14C]averufanin showed that 23% of the label was incorporated into aflatoxin B1 by the wild type and that 31% of the label was incorporated into O-methylsterigmatocystin by a non-aflatoxin-producing isolate. In similar studies with blocked mutants of A. parasiticus the 14C label from averufanin was accumulated in averufin (72%) and versicolorin A (54%) but not averantin. The results demonstrate that averufanin is a biosynthetic precursor of aflatoxin B1 between averantin and averufin.
D016604:Aflatoxin B1; D000348:Aflatoxins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000880:Anthraquinones / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D001230:Aspergillus / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000032:analysis
D000348:Aflatoxins; D000880:Anthraquinones; D010860:Pigments, Biological; C051714:averufanin; C024820:averantin; C029856:averufin; D016604:Aflatoxin B1