Isolation of a novel microorganism, Pestalotia heterocornis, producing paclitaxel

Pestalotia heterocornis was isolated from soil collected in yew forest and was shown to produce paclitaxel in semisynthetic liquid media. The presence of paclitaxel in the fungal extract was confirmed by FAB mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. The maximum yield of paclitaxel was 31 μg per liter. Optimal paclitaxel production occurred after 5-7 days in a 20-liter scale fermentation at 23°C. These results indicate that P. heterocornis is an excellent candidate for consideration in fermentation technology.