The hydroxylamine nortryptoquivaline (2) and the three secondary amines deoxytryptoquivaline (3), deoxynortryptoquivaline (4), and deoxynortryptoquivalone (8) were found to be toxic metabolites of Aspergillus clauatus. They were accompanied by the two previously described tremor producing agents tryptoquivaline (1) and nortryptoquivalone (7). The only weakly basic secondary amines 3, 4, and 8 were oxidized to the corresponding hydroxylamines 1,2, and 7 with m-chloroperbenzoic acid.A strain of the fungus Aspergillus clavatus (NRRL-5890) collected from mold-damaged rice produced the two highly toxic, tremor inducing metabolites tryptoquivaline (1) and nortryptoquivalone (7).3 T h e p-bromophenylurethane of a transformation product of tryptoquivaline was utilized in the structure determination by x-ray crystallography while spectral data left little doubt t h a t n o r t r y p t o q~i v a l o n e~ has structure 7, but this conclusion remains to be confirmed by chemical correlation.More recently we had occasion t o examine another strain of Aspergillus clavatus (strain MIT-M-18) for the presence of mycotoxins. Its identity was established by the Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, Baarn, The Netherlands. The fungus was one of several collected from mold-infested rice found in a Thai household where a child died of a n unidentified toxicosis.5 Solid substrate, agitated fermentation on pearled barley6 gave optimum yields of secondary metabolites and individual components were isolated by high-pressure liquid and thin layer chromatography. The least and most polar fractions contained the known fungal metabolites xanthocillin-X dimethyl ether (9)7 and kotanin (10): respectively.From the intermediate fractions nortryptoquivalone (7) and tryptoquivaline (1) could be isolated in crystalline form. These two metabolites were now found t o exhibit very similar circular dichroism spectra (see Experimental Section) tentatively suggesting identical relative configurations a t C2, C3, and c19.gThe least polar of the new metabolites, m p 256-258 "C, further characterized by its acetate 5, had the composition CzsHzsN407. Its ultraviolet absorption spectrum was indistinguishable from t h a t of tryptoquivaline (1) and all infrared absorptions associated with functional groups were identical in the two spectra. The proton magnetic resonance spectrum of the new metabolite was identical with t h a t of tryptoquivaline (1) except t h a t signals associated with t h e geminal dimethyl group in the latter were replaced by those of a secondary methyl function. The first of t h e new metabolites thus is nortryptoquivaline (2) and its circular dichroism spectrum indicates the relative stereochemistry shown. A second new metabolite, m p 150-152 OC, was found to have the composition C29H30N406. I t thus differs from tryptoquivaline (1) by the absence of an oxygen atom. The suggestion t h a t it might be deoxytryptoquivaline (3) was strengthened by a negative triphenyltetrazolium chloride test for hydroxylamines12 and confirmed by oxidation to...

Production of cyclopiazonic acid by Aspergillus flavus is reported for the first time. A procedure for its production by agitated solid substrate fermentation on red wheat is described along with the isolation procedure and physical and chemical properties of this indole derivative. The compound has been found to exert antibacterial activity.

Relations between average temperature of each of the 48 contiguous states and estimates of state IQ were inspected. Additional state variables were controlled in the correlational analyses, namely gross state product, percent Hispanic, Black, and Asian in the state population, and the pupil-to-teacher ratio for each state. A significant correlation between average temperature and state IQ was found (r = -.70, p < .001). Possible explanations are discussed.

Production of luteoskyrin, a hepatotoxin synthesized by Penicillium islandicum Sopp., was studied with various fermentation methods. Best results were obtained in static fermentations on glutinous rice at 30 degrees C. The isolated yield of pure luteoskyrin was approximately 400 mg per kg of rice. Also produced were skyrin, islandicin, iridoskyrin, rubroskyrin, chrysophanol, mannitol, and erythritol. A new metabolite, which we call pibasterol, was also isolated.

The Digit Span (DS) subtest cannot be administered to individuals who are unable to effectively vocalize their responses. This study determined the feasibility of altering DS response requirements to accommodate such individuals. A total of 78 healthy adults served as participants. Twenty-six completed the DS using the standard oral response format, 26 wrote their responses to each DS item, and 26 were instructed to point to their responses on a stimulus board. Results indicated similar performance on all DS components regardless of whether responses were given orally, in writing, or by pointing. Research with vocally impaired clinical populations (e.g., stutterers) appears warranted.