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Ergot

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Ergot is pronounced ur-git, not er-go. Highly toxic, it ought not be consumed. Properly modified, it has many uses...

  • Ergot: fungi of the genus Claviceps. All Claviceps species are ergot. The most well-known member is Claviceps purpurea (Latin purpuro, purple, "to adorn/beautify"), the rye ergot fungus, which is parasitic on grasses and cereals (especially rye).
    • A Claviceps spore infects a flowering grass or cereal's floret. Upon connection to the vascular bundle, soft white sphacelia tissue develops. This hardens and dries into a sclerotium in the destroyed floret's husk.
    • Alkaloids and lipids accumulate in the sclerotium. Dry, mature claviceps purpurea (and claviceps africana) sclerotium consist of about 2% ergot alkaloids by weight.
  • Alkaloid: Basic (high-pH) naturally-occurring organic compounds containing nitrogen. The "true alkaloids" are biosynthesized from amino acids and contain nitrogen in a heterocycle (a cyclic structure containing more than one element).
    • Indole: The aromatic heterocycle C8H7N. Bicyclic pair of benzene (C6H6) and pyrrole (C4H4NH) sharing an edge. A biosynthetic precursor to the indole alkaloids, including the amino acid tryptophan and 3-indolepropionic acid (IPA).
    • Tryptophan: An essential amino acid (one which cannot be biosynthesized in humans), and a precursor in humans of serotonin, melatonin, and vitamin B3. Clostridium sporogenes in the human gut metabolizes tryptophan into indole.
    • Ergoline: the structural skeleton shared by ergoline alkaloids. Also a tanning bed by JK Products (pronounced differently).

Ergoline path (the ergot alkaloids)

  • L-Tryptophan C11H12N2O2 -> (prenylation via DMAPP from mevalonic acid, catalyzed by DMATS)
    • DMAT(S): dimethylallyltryptophan (synthetase)
  • 4-L-DMAT -> (N-methylation via SAM, catalyzed by EasF)
  • 4-DMA-L-abrine -> (decarboxylation+oxidation via EasC, catalyzed by EasE)
  • Chanoclavine-I -> (oxidation via EasD)
  • Chanoclavine-I-aldehyde (a D2 dopamine receptor stimulant) ->
  • Agroclavine ->
  • Emiloclavine ->
  • Paspalic acid ->
  • Lysergic acid

External links

  • Reconstituting the complete biosynthesis of D-lysergic acid in yeast. Nature Communications 2022.