Reductive detoxification of the acetophenone skeleton of the carnation phytoanticipin by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. dianthi

The skeleton of the carnation phytoanticipin, acetophenone, was detoxified by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. dianthi , the main fungal parasite of carnation. This process consisted of the reduction to ethanol of the acetyl group, leading to the formation of phenylethanol, which has lower fungitoxic activity than the parent molecule. The conversion took place through the activity of an adaptive fungal oxidoreductase, which was NADH-dependent and was released by the fungus as two enzymatic forms within the culture substrate in the presence of acetophenone. Reduction was stereospecific and gave rise to only one of the two possible enantiomeric forms.