International Center for Biotechnology, Osaka University, 2-1, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
Biotechnol Lett. 2009 Dec;31(12):1911-6. doi: 10.1007/s10529-009-0093-3. Epub 2009 Aug 20.
Monacolin K (MK), which is widely used as an antihypercholesterolemia medicine, is produced as a fungal secondary metabolite through the polyketide pathway. The MK biosynthetic gene cluster proposed for Monascus pilosus BCRC38072 was also identified in M. pilosus NBRC4480. The mokB gene, located at the end of the putative gene cluster and possibly encoding polyketide synthase, was disrupted. The mokB disruptant did not produce MK, but accumulated an intermediate that was confirmed to be monacolin J, indicating that mokB encodes the polyketide synthase responsible for the biosynthesis of side-chain diketide moiety.
洛伐他汀（MK）作为一种降胆固醇药物被广泛应用，它是通过聚酮途径作为真菌的次级代谢产物产生的。莫纳可林 K 的生物合成基因簇也在红曲菌 NBRC4480 中被鉴定出来。位于假定基因簇末端且可能编码聚酮合酶的 mokB 基因被破坏。mokB 缺失突变株不能产生 MK，但积累了一种中间产物，经证实为莫纳可林 J，表明 mokB 编码负责侧链二酮部分生物合成的聚酮合酶。
