Pradimicin S, a highly soluble nonpeptidic small-size carbohydrate-binding antibiotic, is an anti-HIV drug lead for both microbicidal and systemic use.

Pradimicin S (PRM-S) is a highly water-soluble, negatively charged derivative of the antibiotic pradimicin A (PRM-A) in which the terminal xylose moiety has been replaced by 3-sulfated glucose. PRM-S does not prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) adsorption on CD4(+) T cells, but it blocks virus entry into its target cells. It inhibits a wide variety of HIV-1 laboratory strains and clinical isolates, HIV-2, and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) in various cell culture systems (50% and 90% effective concentrations [EC(50)s and EC(90)s] invariably in the lower micromolar range). PRM-S inhibits syncytium formation between persistently HIV-1- and SIV-infected cells and uninfected CD4(+) T lymphocytes, and prevents dendritic cell-specific intercellular adhesion molecule-3-grabbing nonintegrin (DC-SIGN)-mediated HIV-1 and SIV capture and subsequent virus transmission to CD4(+) T cells. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) studies revealed that PRM-S strongly binds to gp120 in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner at an affinity constant (K(D)) in the higher nanomolar range. Its anti-HIV activity and HIV-1 gp120-binding properties can be dose-dependently reversed in the presence of an (alpha-1,2)mannose trimer. Dose-escalating exposure of HIV-1-infected cells to PRM-S eventually led to the isolation of mutant virus strains that had various deleted N-glycosylation sites in the envelope gp120 with a strong preference for the deletion of the high-mannose-type glycans. Genotypic resistance development occurred slowly, and significant phenotypic resistance occurred only after the sequential appearance of up to six mutations in gp120, pointing to a high genetic barrier of PRM-S. The antibiotic is nontoxic against a variety of cell lines, is not mitogenic, and does not induce cytokines and chemokines in peripheral blood mononuclear cells as determined by the Bio-Plex human cytokine 27-plex assay. It proved stable at high temperature and low pH. Therefore, PRM-S may qualify as a potential anti-HIV drug candidate for further (pre)clinical studies, including its microbicidal use.

Inhibition of cell-to-cell transmission of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 in vitro by carbohydrate-binding agents.

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy individuals can be infected by human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) upon cocultivation of the PBMCs with irradiated HTLV-1-transformed human MT-2 cells. This model system closely mimics HTLV-1 transmission through cell-to-cell contact. Carbohydrate-binding agents (CBAs) such as the alpha(1,3)/alpha(1,6)mannose-specific Hippeastrum hybrid agglutinin and the GlcNAc-specific Urtica dioica agglutinin, and also the small, nonpeptidic alpha(1,2)-mannose-specific antibiotic pradimicin A, were able to efficiently prevent cell-to-cell HTLV-1 transmission at nontoxic concentrations, as evidenced by the lack of appearance of virus-specific mRNA and of the viral protein Tax in the acceptor cells. Consistently, antivirally active doses of CBAs fully prevented HTLV-1-induced stimulation of PBMC growth. The inhibitory effects of CBAs on HTLV-1 transmission were also evident when HTLV-1-infected C5MJ cells were used in place of MT-2 cells as a virus donor cell line. The anti-HTLV-1 properties of the CBAs highlight the importance of the envelope glycans in events underlying HTLV-1 passage from cell to cell and indicate that CBAs should be further investigated for their potential to prevent HTLV-1 infection, including mother-to-child virus transmission by cell-to-cell contact through breast milk feeding.

An effective absorption behavior of insulin for diabetic treatment following intranasal delivery using porous spherical calcium carbonate in monkeys and healthy human volunteers.

Porous spherical calcium carbonate (PS-CaCO(3)), in contrast to regular calcium carbonate (CaCO(3)), which has a cuboidal particle shape, has a characteristic spherical particle shape with a large number of porous, sliver crystals. The effect of PS-CaCO(3) as a drug carrier on intranasal insulin absorption was investigated in cynomolgus monkeys and healthy human volunteers. Each insulin formulation (powder) containing PS-CaCO(3) or regular CaCO(3) was administered intranasally. Serum insulin and glucose levels after administration were evaluated. The insulin absorption after intranasal administration with each CaCO(3) was found to be much more rapid than that after subcutaneous administration. The serum insulin level after intranasal insulin delivery (16 U per monkey) with PS-CaCO(3) showed a higher C(max) (403.5 microU/mL) and shorter T(max) (0.167 h) when compared with regular CaCO(3). The serum glucose level reduction rate after intranasal delivery using PS-CaCO(3) was faster than that of regular CaCO(3), reflecting the difference in absorption rates. Following repeated intranasal administrations for 4 weeks in monkeys, no toxicity was observed even with a maximum insulin dose level of 25 U. Furthermore, the intranasal insulin absorption rate with PS-CaCO(3) in healthy humans was also observed to be considerably faster than that with regular CaCO(3). Effects of PS-CaCO(3) on a more effective absorption behavior of insulin were considered to be the result of a greater affinity between the nasal mucosa layer and PS-CaCO(3), which is closely related to its structural characteristics. Thus, intranasal insulin delivery using PS-CaCO(3) is thought to be a safe and highly available system enabling more effective insulin absorption behavior with the appearance of endogenous postprandial insulin secretion in healthy humans. We believe that our intranasal insulin delivery system enabling a rapid and short-acting pharmacological effect against postprandial hyperglycemia will be more beneficial than pulmonary insulin delivery systems in the treatment of diabetes.

NMR analysis of quinocycline antibiotics: structure determination of kosinostatin, an antitumor substance from Micromonospora sp. TP-A0468.

A quinocycline antibiotic, kosinostatin, was isolated from the culture broth of Micromonospora sp. TP-A0468 along with isoquinocycline B. Structure of kosinostatin was determined to be the stereoisomer of isoquinocycline B regarding to the stereochemistry at the C-2' spiro carbon by NMR analysis. Kosinostatin isomerizes to isoquinocycline B through the inversion of the stereocenter at C-2'. Comparison of physico-chemical properties indicated that kosinostatin is presumably identical with quinocycline B isolated by CELMER et al. from Streptomyces aureofaciens.

Kosinostatin, a quinocycline antibiotic with antitumor activity from Micromonospora sp. TP-A0468.

Kosinostatin, a quinocycline antibiotic was isolated from the culture broth of an actinomycete strain TP-A0468 along with isoquinocycline B. The producing strain was isolated from the seawater sample collected in Toyama Bay and identified as Micromonospora sp. based on the taxonomic study. Kosinostatin was obtained from the culture fluid by solvent extraction and ODS column chromatography. Kosinostatin inhibited the growth of Gram-positive bacteria strongly (MIC=0.039 microg/ml) and Gram-negative bacteria and yeasts moderately (MIC= 1.56 approximately 12.5 microg/ml). It showed cytotoxicity against various cancer cell lines with the IC50 of 0.02 approximately 0.6 microm and inhibited human DNA topoisomerase Ila with the IC50 of 3 approximately 10 microM.

Pradimicin-resistance of yeast is caused by a point mutation of the histidine-containing phosphotransfer protein Ypd1.

Pradimicin is an antifungal antibiotic which induces apoptosis like cell death in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Pradimicin-resistant mutants were isolated from the S. cerevisiae and the mutation points were analyzed. A point mutation of YPD1 that led to a substitution of the 74th glycine (Gly74) to cysteine (Cys) was identified in a mutant strain NH1. In S. cerevisiae, Ypd1 transfers a phosphoryl group from the sensor kinase Slnl to the response regulator Sskl which regulates a downstream MAP kinase in response to hyperosmotic stress. Gly74 is located in a three-residue reverse turn domain that connects two alpha-helices, one of which contains a histidine residue which is phosphorylated. In the reverse turn, glycine (relative position +10 to the active-site histidine) is highly conserved in Ypd1 and other histidine-containing phosphotransfer proteins. It was therefore suggested that the substitution of Gly74 to Cys altered the Ypd1 structure, which resulted in the resistance to pradimicin.

Apoptosis-like cell death of Saccharomyces cerevisiae induced by a mannose-binding antifungal antibiotic, pradimicin.

Pradimicin A (PRM), a mannose-binding antifungal antibiotic, induced the apotosis-like cell death in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The nuclear breakage and DNA fragmentation were observed in yeast cells by DAPI and TUNEL staining after the treatment with PRM. Accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was also detected in PRM-treated yeast cells by staining with dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate. PRM-induced cell death and the accumulation of ROS were prevented by pretreating the yeast cells with a radical scavenger, N-acetylcysteine. These results indicate that PRM induces the apoptosis-like cell death in yeast through the generation of ROS.

Anicequol, a novel inhibitor for anchorage-independent growth of tumor cells from Penicillium aurantiogriseum Dierckx TP-F0213.

A novel inhibitor for anchorage-independent growth of tumor cells was isolated from the culture broth of a fungal strain. The producing strain TP-F0213 was identified as Penicillium aurantiogriseum Dierckx based on the taxonomic study. The compound designated anicequol was obtained by solvent extraction, HP-20 and silica gel chromatographies and recrystallization. The planar structure was elucidated by NMR analysis to be 16-acetoxy-3,7,11-trihydroxyergost-22-en-6-one. The absolute configuration was determined by the X-ray analysis of 3,7-bis-p-bromobenzoyl derivative. The carbon skeleton of anicequol has the same absolute configuration as ergostane and the configurations of substituents are 3beta, 5alpha, 7beta, 11beta, 16beta and 24S. Anicequol inhibited the anchorage-independent growth of human colon cancer DLD-1 cells with the IC50 of 1.2 microM whereas the IC50 against anchorage-dependent growth was 40 microM.

Effects of hibarimicins and hibarimicin-related compounds produced by Microbispora on v-Src kinase activity and growth and differentiation of human myeloid leukemia HL-60 cells.

We studied the effects of hibarimicins and hibarimicin-related compounds produced by Microbispora rosea subsp. hibaria [glycosides (hibarimicins A, B, C, D, E, G, H and I) and aglycon (hibarimicinone)] or compounds produced by its mutants [glycosides (HMP-P4 and -Y6), aglycons (HMP-P1 and -Y1) and shunt products (HMP-M1, M2, M3 and -M4)] on v-Src tyrosine kinase and growth and differentiation of human myeloid leukemia HL-60 cells. Among them, hibarimicin B was a strong and the most selective v-Src kinase inhibitor with differentiation inducing activity of HL-60 cells. Hibarimicin E similarly induced HL-60 cell differentiation but had no v-Src kinase inhibitory activity. Hibarimicinone was the most potent v-Src kinase inhibitor, although less selective, and did not induce differentiation of HL-60 cells. Hibarimicin B competitively inhibited ATP binding to the v-Src kinase, but hibarimicinone showed noncompetitive inhibition. These two compounds, however, showed similar mixed types of inhibition against a Src substrate binding to the v-Src kinase. Altogether, these results suggest that signaling molecules other than Src might be more important in the differentiation induction of HL-60 cells.

Directed biosynthesis of fluorinated pseurotin A, synerazol and gliotoxin.

Aspergillus fumigatus TP-F0196 produces pseurotin A, synerazol and gliotoxin. Phenylalanine is a common biosynthetic precursor of these antibiotics. Feeding fluorophenylalanine to the culture induced the production of novel fluorinated analogs. These fluorinated antibiotics were obtained from the culture broth by solvent extraction and purified by chromatographies, and their antimicrobial and antitumor activities were investigated. Among the novel fluorinated analogs, 19- and 20-fluorosynerazols exhibited potent anti-angiogenic activity in the chorioallantoic membrane assay. In addition, 19-fluorosynerazol showed more potent cytocidal activity against several cancer cell lines than synerazol.

Biosynthesis of hibarimicins. I. 13C-labeling experiments.

Biosynthesis of hibarimicin was studied based on the feeding experiments with 13C labeled acetates. All carbons in the aglycon, except for the methoxy carbons, were derived from acetate. The carbon framework of the aglycon was proved to be constructed by dimerization of an intermediate which was biosynthesized via the decarboxylation and skeltal rearrangement starting from an undecaketide. The rearrangement was confirmed by detecting the long range (three-bond) coupling between two carbons in the difference spectra of selective 13C decoupled INADEQUATE of hibarimicin B labeled with sodium [1,2-13C2] acetate.

Biosynthesis of hibarimicins. II. Elucidation of biosynthetic pathway by cosynthesis using blocked mutants.

The biosynthetic pathway of hibarimicin (HBM) was proposed on the basis of the experimental results obtained by using blocked mutants of Microbispora rosea subsp. hibaria TP-A0121, the HBM producer. In its biosynthesis, the oxidative coupling of the aromatic undecaketide unit generates a symmetrical aglycon HMP-Y1 (hibarimicin-mutant product Y1), which is oxidatively modified to hibarimicinone, the HBM aglycon. The following glycosylation of hibarimicinone gives rise to the HBM complex. We identified that HMP-Y1 prepared by methanolysis of HMP-Y6, a glycosylated metabolite from a blocked mutant, was the key intermediate: transformation of 13C-labeled HMP-Y1 to HBM B was confirmed by NMR measurements. Mutant strain produced another type of aglycon HMP-P1 in which the coupled polyketide units were intramolecularly bridged by the ether bond. This metabolite also arose by the spontaneous elimination of methanol molecule from hibarimicinone.

Biosynthesis of hibarimicins. III. Structures of new hibarimicin-related metabolites produced by blocked mutants.

Structures of metabolites produced by blocked mutants of Microbispora rosea subsp. hibaria TP-A0121, hibarimicin-producer, were determined by spectroscopic analysis. HMP-Y6 is the dimer of the west half of hibarimicin B, the aglycon of which is the genuine biosynthetic intermediate. HMP-P1 is the shunt product arising from the release of a methanol molecule from hibarimicinone. HMP-P4, the glycoside of HMP-P1, is glycosylated with two amicetoses and two digitoxoses same as hibarimicin B. HMP-M1, M2, M3 and M4 are shunt products derived from the monomeric undecaketide intermediates.

Role of cations in the interaction of pradimicins with HIV-1 envelope gp120.

Pradimicins (PRM) are a unique class of nonpeptidic carbohydrate-binding agents that inhibit HIV infection by efficiently binding to the HIV-1 envelope gp120 glycans in the obligatory presence of Ca(2+). Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) data revealed that addition of EDTA dose-dependently results in lower binding signals of PRM-A to immobilized gp120. Pradimicin derivatives that lack the free carboxylic acid group on the C-18 position failed to bind gp120 and were devoid of significant antiviral activity. Ca(2+) was much more efficient for PRM-A binding to gp120 than Cd(2+), Ba(2+) or Sr(2+). Instead, calcium could not be replaced by any other mono- (i.e. K(+)), di- (i.e. Cu(2+), Mg(2+), Mn(2+), Fe(2+), Zn(2+)) or trivalent (i.e. Al,(3+), Fe(3+)) cation without complete loss of gp120 binding. However, Zn(2+), Mg(2+) and Mn(2+) added to a Ca(2+)- pradimicin mixture, prevented pradimicin from efficient binding to gp120 glycans. These data suggest that these bivalent cations may bind to pradimicins but lead to pradimicin-cation complexes that are unable to further coordinate with the glycans of gp120. Thus, in order to afford antiviral activity, only a few cations can (i) bind to pradimicin to form a dimeric complex and (ii) subsequently coordinate the pradimicin/cation interaction with gp120 glycans.

Pradimicin A, a carbohydrate-binding nonpeptidic lead compound for treatment of infections with viruses with highly glycosylated envelopes, such as human immunodeficiency virus.

Pradimicin A (PRM-A), an antifungal nonpeptidic benzonaphtacenequinone antibiotic, is a low-molecular-weight (molecular weight, 838) carbohydrate binding agent (CBA) endowed with a selective inhibitory activity against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It invariably inhibits representative virus strains of a variety of HIV-1 clades with X4 and R5 tropisms at nontoxic concentrations. Time-of-addition studies revealed that PRM-A acts as a true virus entry inhibitor. PRM-A specifically interacts with HIV-1 gp120 and efficiently prevents virus transmission in cocultures of HUT-78/HIV-1 and Sup T1 cells. Upon prolonged exposure of HIV-1-infected CEM cell cultures, PRM-A drug pressure selects for mutant HIV-1 strains containing N-glycosylation site deletions in gp120 but not gp41. A relatively long exposure time to PRM-A is required before drug-resistant virus strains emerge. PRM-A has a high genetic barrier, since more than five N-glycosylation site deletions in gp120 are required to afford moderate drug resistance. Such mutated virus strains keep full sensitivity to the other known clinically used anti-HIV drugs. PRM-A represents the first prototype compound of a nonpeptidic CBA lead and, together with peptide-based lectins, belongs to a conceptually novel type of potential therapeutics for which drug pressure results in the selection of glycan deletions in the HIV gp120 envelope.

Entry of hepatitis C virus and human immunodeficiency virus is selectively inhibited by carbohydrate-binding agents but not by polyanions.

We studied the antiviral activity of carbohydrate-binding agents (CBAs), including several plant lectins and the non-peptidic small-molecular-weight antibiotic pradimicin A (PRM-A). These agents efficiently prevented hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection of target cells by inhibiting the viral entry. CBAs were also shown to prevent HIV and HCV capture by DC-SIGN-expressing cells. Surprisingly, infection by other enveloped viruses such as herpes simplex viruses, respiratory syncytial virus and parainfluenza-3 virus was not inhibited by these agents pointing to a high degree of specificity. Mannan reversed the antiviral activity of CBAs, confirming their association with viral envelope-associated glycans. In contrast, polyanions such as dextran sulfate-5000 and sulfated polyvinylalcohol inhibited HIV entry but were devoid of any activity against HCV infection, indicating that they act through a different mechanism. CBAs could be considered as prime drug leads for the treatment of chronic viral infections such as HCV by preventing viral entry into target cells. They may represent an attractive new option for therapy of HCV/HIV coinfections. CBAs may also have the potential to prevent HCV/HIV transmission.

Pradimicin resistance of yeast is caused by a mutation of the putative N-glycosylation sites of osmosensor protein Sln1.

Pradimicin, a mannose-binding antifungal antibiotic, induces apoptosis-like cell death in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Previously we found that the substitution of the 74th amino acid from glycine to cysteine in Ypd1 yields a mutant resistant to pradimicin. In this study, the involvement of a membrane-spanning osomosensor, Sln1, which is located upstream of Ypd1, was investigated. A mutant, sln1 DeltaNG, that lacks the putative N-glycosylation sites in the extracellular domain became resistant to pradimicin. On the other hand, the null mutants of Ssk1, Pbs2, and Hog1, which are located downstream of the Sln1 cascade, were sensitive to pradimicin as well as the wild-type strain. In conclusion, pradimicin exerts its fungicidal action with the involvement of Sln1, but the downstream branch, Ssk1 and the HOG pathway, is not involved.

Quinolactacide, a new quinolone insecticide from Penicillium citrinum Thom F 1539.

By a screening program searching for new pesticides from fungal sources, an insecticidal compound was isolated from Penicillium citrinum F 1539. The compound, named quinolactacide, was novel and showed 88% mortality against green peach aphids (Myzus persicae) at 250 ppm. Its structure was determined by spectroscopic techniques.