A sex pheromone isolated from the cuticle and feces of the female house fly attracts the male fly; it has been identified as ( Z )-9-tricosene. Chemical and biological comparisons of the natural and synthesized compounds show that they are identical.

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A family of new 10-membered lactones was detected by chemical screening. Taxonomic studies and fermentation conditions of the producing organisms, which belong to the species Penicillium simplicissimumand Penicillium corylophilum, are presented. Theisolation as well as physico-chemical data of the new compoundsnameddecarestrictines A to D are reported. In vitro testing using the HEP-G2cell assay showed the decarestrictines to be inhibitors of cholesterol biosynthesis, which could be confirmed in vivo. In addition to the decarestrictines from P. corylophilum epoxyagroclavine-I(1) was isolated.Within our concept2~5) to detect new secondary metabolites by chemical screening6'7*, we isolate and characterize microorganisms from various natural sources, e.g. soil samples, plant material, and foodstuff. The culture broths and the mycelia of the newly isolated and immediately cultivated strains were extracted by organic solvents. The obtained residues were dissolved in small amounts of methanol -water (1 : 1) and analyzed by TLCchromatography in different solvent systems by treatment with various staining reagents.This procedure renders a good visualization of the characteristic secondary metabolite pattern of each strain. Applying this method to various microorganisms it has been found that different Penicillium species (strains FH-A 6090, FH-A 6099, FH-A 6530, and FH-A 6360) exhibit a similar but unusual secondary metabolite pattern. The present paper deals with the description of the producing organisms, their fermentation conditions, isolation and purification procedures as well as the physico-chemical and biological properties of the newsecondary metabolites, named decarestrictines A to D. In an accompanying paper8), the structural elucidation of these novel 10-memberedlactones will be presented in detail. In addition, from strain FH-A 6360 the ergot alkaloid epoxyagroclavine-I (l)9'10) was isolated. Description of the Producing OrganismsThe decarestrictine-producing strains FH-A 6090, FH-A 6099, FH-A 6530, and FH-A 6360 were f Seerefl.