Taxol and Taxane Production by Taxomyces andreanae , an Endophytic Fungus of Pacific Yew

Taxomyces andreanae , a fungal endophyte, was isolated from the phloem (inner bark) of the Pacific yew, Taxus brevifolia . The fungus is hyphomyceteous and, when grown in a semi-synthetic liquid medium, produced taxol and related compounds. Taxol was identified by mass spectrometry, chromatography, and reactivity with monoclonal antibodies specific for taxol. Both [1- 14 C]acetic acid and L-[U- 14 C]phenylalanine served as precursors of [ 14 C]taxol in fungal cultures. No taxol was detected in zero-time cultures or in the small agar plugs used to inoculate the culture flasks.