Penicillium persicinum, a new griseofulvin, chrysogine and roquefortine C producing species from Qinghai province, China

A unique Penicillium isolate from Chinese soil with terverticillate penicilli and ellipsoidal to cylindrical smooth-walled conidia, produces, in addition to the common metabolite ergosterol, copious amounts of an unknown peach-red pigment and the following secondary metabolites: griseofulvin, dechlorogriseofulvin, lichexanthone, roquefortine C, roquefortine D, chrysogine, 2-pyrovoylaminobenzamide, 2-acetyl-quinazolin-4(3H)-one.

This isolate, CBS 111235, is described as Penicillium persicinum sp. nov., which belongs to subgenus Penicillium section Chrysogena but is morphologically similar to P. italicum. On the basis of the production of secondary metabolites it resembles P. griseofulvum and P. coprophilum. Sequence data using part of the beta-tubulin gene showed that it is phylogenetically related to P. chrysogenum and P. aethiopicum in section Chrysogena with which it shares both secondary metabolites and ability to grow at 37 degreesC.