BW A4C and other hydroxamic acids are potent inhibitors of linoleic acid 8R-dioxygenase of the fungus Gaeumannomyces graminis.

Linoleic acid is converted to 8R-hydroperoxylinoleic acid by the soluble 8R-dioxygenase of the fungus Gaeumannomyces graminis. Effects of different lipoxygenase inhibitors on the 8R-dioxygenase were evaluated. Three hydroxamic acid derivatives were investigated. BW A4C (N-(3-phenoxycinnamyl)acetohydroxamic acid) was the most potent with an IC50 of 0.2 microM, followed by zileuton (3-10 microM) and linoleate-hydroxamic acid (0.02 mM). Two other lipoxygenase inhibitors, nordihydroguaiaretic acid and eicosatetraynoic acid, were less potent (IC50 0.09 and 0.15 mM, respectively). The 8R-dioxygenase was also strongly inhibited by commonly used buffer additives, dithiothreitol, beta-mercaptoethanol and phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride. G. graminis also contains a hydroperoxide isomerase, which converts 8R-hydroperoxylinoleic acid to 7S,8S-dihydroxylinoleic acid. Ammonium sulphate precipitation and gel filtration indicated that the dioxygenase and the hydroperoxide isomerase activities could be separated.