Elymoclavine is an

ergot alkaloid Ergoline is a chemical compound whose structural skeleton is contained in a variety of alkaloids, referred to as ergoline derivatives or ergoline alkaloids. Ergoline alkaloids, one being ergine, were initially characterized in ergot. Some of thes ...

(ergoline alkaloid). It can be produced from ''C. fusiformis'' from ''Pennisetum typhoideum''. It is a precursor in the biosynthesis of D-(+)-lysergic acid. Ergot alkaloids are natural products derived from L-tryptophan. They are often toxic for humans and animals. Despite that they are also well known for their pharmacological activities.

Biosynthesis

The main building blocks for biosynthesis of elymoclavine are

tryptophan Tryptophan (symbol Trp or W) is an α-amino acid that is used in the biosynthesis of proteins. Tryptophan contains an α-amino group, an α- carboxylic acid group, and a side chain indole, making it a polar molecule with a non-polar aromatic ...

(Trp) and

DMAPP Dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP; or alternatively, dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMADP); also isoprenyl pyrophosphate) is an isoprenoid precursor. It is a product of both the mevalonate pathway and the MEP pathway of isoprenoid precursor biosynt ...

. DMATrp is obtained after electrophilic substitution followed by addition (Step A below). Then an amine is methylated by an N-methyltransfersase (Step B). Next, the allyl alcohol is oxidized to the diene (Step C). After 1,4-elimination, the

diene In organic chemistry a diene ( ) (diolefin ( ) or alkadiene) is a covalent compound that contains two double bonds, usually among carbon atoms. They thus contain two alk''ene'' units, with the standard prefix ''di'' of systematic nomenclature. ...

undergoes an

epoxidation In organic chemistry, an epoxide is a cyclic ether () with a three-atom ring. This ring approximates an equilateral triangle, which makes it strained, and hence highly reactive, more so than other ethers. They are produced on a large scale for ...

(Step D). Then

decarboxylation Decarboxylation is a chemical reaction that removes a carboxyl group and releases carbon dioxide (CO2). Usually, decarboxylation refers to a reaction of carboxylic acids, removing a carbon atom from a carbon chain. The reverse process, which is t ...

is followed by the 6-member ring formation and epoxide opened to form terminal alcohol (Step E). Obtained

chanoclavine Chanoclavine, also known as chanoclavin-l is a tri-cyclic ergot alkaloid (ergoline) isolate of certain fungi. It is mainly produced by members of the genus claviceps Ergot ( ) or ergot fungi refers to a group of fungi of the genus ''Claviceps' ...

gets oxidized to chanoclavine aldehyde (Step F). Then the second 6-member ring forms and

agroclavine Agroclavine belongs to the group of ergot alkaloids, such as ergotamine Ergotamine, sold under the brand names Cafergot (with caffeine) and Ergomar among others, is an ergopeptine and part of the ergot family of alkaloids; it is structurally a ...

is obtained after additional reductase (Steps G and H). Finally elymoclavine is generated after an oxidation (Step I). The last step is

NADPH Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, abbreviated NADP or, in older notation, TPN (triphosphopyridine nucleotide), is a cofactor used in anabolic reactions, such as the Calvin cycle and lipid and nucleic acid syntheses, which require NAD ...

-dependent, and it is suggested that

cytochrome P450 Cytochromes P450 (CYPs) are a Protein superfamily, superfamily of enzymes containing heme as a cofactor (biochemistry), cofactor that functions as monooxygenases. In mammals, these proteins oxidize steroids, fatty acids, and xenobiotics, and are ...

is the catalyst.

References

{{ergolines Ergot alkaloids