Combining the Elicitor Up-Regulated Production of Unusual Linear Diterpene-Derived Variants for an In-Depth Assessment of the Application Value and Risk of the Medicinal and Edible Basidiomycete Schizophyllum commune.

To better assess the practical value and avoid potential risks of the traditionally medicinal and edible basidiomycete Schizophyllum commune, which may arise from undescribed metabolites, a combination of elicitors was introduced for the first time to discover products from cryptic and low-expressed gene clusters under laboratory cultivation. Treating S. commune NJFU21 with the combination of five elicitors led to the upregulated production of a class of unusual linear diterpene-derived variants, including eleven new ones (1-11), along with three known ones (12-14). The structures and stereochemistry were determined by 1D and 2D NMR, HRESIMS, ECD, OR and VCD calculations. Notably, the elongation terminus of all the diterpenes was decorated by an unusual butenedioic acid moiety. Compound 1 was a rare monocyclic diterpene, while 2-6 possessed a tetrahydrofuran moiety. The truncated metabolites 4, 5 and 13 belong to the trinorditerpenes. All the diterpenes displayed approximately 70% scavenging of hydroxyl radicals at 50 µM and null cytotoxic activity at 10 µM. In addition, compound 1 exhibited potent antifungal activity against the plant pathogenic fungi Colletotrichum camelliae, with MIC values of 8 µg/mL. Our findings indicated that this class of diterpenes could provide valuable protectants for cosmetic ingredients and the lead compounds for agricultural fungicide development.

Filamentous Fungi-Derived Orsellinic Acid-Sesquiterpene Meroterpenoids: Fungal Sources, Chemical Structures, Bioactivities, and Biosynthesis.

Fungi-derived polyketide-terpenoid hybrids are important meroterpenoid natural products that possess diverse structure scaffolds with a broad spectrum of bioactivities. Herein, we focus on an ever-increasing group of meroterpenoids, orsellinic acid-sesquiterpene hybrids comprised of biosynthetic start unit orsellinic acid coupling to a farnesyl group or/and its modified cyclic products. The review entails the search of China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Web of Science, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and PubMed databases up to June 2022. The key terms include "orsellinic acid", "sesquiterpene", "ascochlorin", "ascofuranone", and "Ascochyta viciae", which are combined with the structures of "ascochlorin" and "ascofuranone" drawn by the Reaxys and Scifinder databases. In our search, these orsellinic acid-sesquiterpene hybrids are mainly produced by filamentous fungi. Ascochlorin was the first compound reported in 1968 and isolated from filamentous fungus Ascochyta viciae (synonym: Acremonium egyptiacum; Acremonium sclerotigenum); to date, 71 molecules are discovered from various filamentous fungi inhabiting in a variety of ecological niches. As typical representatives of the hybrid molecules, the biosynthetic pathway of ascofuranone and ascochlorin are discussed. The group of meroterpenoid hybrids exhibits a broad arrange of bioactivities, as highlighted by targeting hDHODH (human dihydroorotate dehydrogenase) inhibition, antitrypanosomal, and antimicrobial activities. This review summarizes the findings related to the structures, fungal sources, bioactivities, and their biosynthesis from 1968 to June 2022.

Synthesis of Aminoalkyl Sclareolide Derivatives and Antifungal Activity Studies.

Sclareolide was developed as an efficient C-nucleophilic reagent for an asymmetric Mannich addition reaction with a series of N-tert-butylsulfinyl aldimines. The Mannich reaction was carried out under mild conditions, affording the corresponding aminoalkyl sclareolide derivatives with up to 98% yield and 98:2:0:0 diastereoselectivity. Furthermore, the reaction could be performed on a gram scale without any reduction in yield and diastereoselectivity. Additionally, deprotection of the obtained Mannich addition products to give the target sclareolide derivatives bearing a free N-H group was demonstrated. In addition, target compounds 4-6 were subjected to an antifungal assay in vitro, which showed considerable antifungal activity against forest pathogenic fungi.

Mimicking DNA Periodic Docking Grooves for Adaptive Identification of l-/d-Tryptophan in a Biological Metal-Organic Framework.

Bioinspired metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) serve as suitable crystalline models for recognition and sensing of biomolecules mimicking natural processes, providing new ideas and concepts for cutting-edge biomedical applications. Here, we have successfully prepared a robust biological metal-organic framework with periodic docking grooves resembling the major and minor grooves in the DNA double helix structure, which can be used as unique recognition sites for selectively identifying l-/d-tryptophan (l-/d-Trp). Notably, successful encapsulation of Trp could be observed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction for the first time. Trp has matched size and shape to fit snugly into the major groove. Combined with isothermal titration calorimetry, it was found that ZnBTCHx could spontaneously capture l-/d-Trp through two different thermodynamic pathways: enthalpy-driven for encapsulating l-Trp and entropy-driven for uptaking d-Trp. Furthermore, molecular dynamics and density functional theory verified the role of hydrogen bonding and π-π/C-H···π interactions in the host-guest interface. This work provides unique insight for the construction of bionic models to mimic the natural binding properties, which is of great significance for the fields of pharmaceutical chemistry and biomedical science.

Dothideomins A-D, Antibacterial Polycyclic Bisanthraquinones from the Endophytic Fungus Dothideomycetes sp. BMC-101.

Four new bisanthraquinones, dothideomins A-D (1-4), were identified from Dothideomycetes sp. BMC-101, an endophytic fungus isolated from Magnolia grandiflora L. leaves. Their chemical structures were established by NMR analysis, single-crystal X-ray crystallography, and ECD analysis. Dothideomins A-D (1-4) were characterized by an unusual 6/6/6/5/6/3/6/6 octocyclic scaffold (1 and 2) and a 6/6/6/5/6/6/6 heptacyclic scaffold (3 and 4), respectively. All compounds, especially 1 and 3, exhibited potent antibacterial activity with MIC values ranging from 0.4 to 0.8 µg/mL.

Production of Multiple Talaroenamines from Penicillium malacosphaerulum via One-Pot/Two-Stage Precursor-Directed Biosynthesis.

Nineteen new talaroenamine derivatives, talaroenamines F1-F19 (1-19), were isolated from the Yellow River wetland derived Penicillium malacosphaerulum HPU-J01 by use of a one-pot/two-stage precursor-directed biosynthesis approach. During this approach, the initial precursor p-methylaniline was first used as a carrier to capture the biologically synthesized cyclohexanedione to produce talaroenamine F, and then the other aniline derivatives were employed to replace the p-methylaniline fragment of talaroenamine F to generate the final products. LC-MS analysis showed that only four compounds (2, 8, 10, and 12) could be produced by the traditional precursor-directed biosynthesis in which the aniline precursors were added simultaneously. Compound 14 was cytotoxic against the K562 cell line with an IC50 value of 2.2 µM. This work demonstrated the one-pot/two-stage precursor-directed biosynthesis could improve substrate acceptance leading to the production of diverse talaroenamines.

Combination Strategy of Genetic Dereplication and Manipulation of Epigenetic Regulators Reveals a Novel Compound from Plant Endophytic Fungus.

The strategies of genetic dereplication and manipulation of epigenetic regulators to activate the cryptic gene clusters are effective to discover natural products with novel structure in filamentous fungi. In this study, a combination of genetic dereplication (deletion of pesthetic acid biosynthetic gene, PfptaA) and manipulation of epigenetic regulators (deletion of histone methyltransferase gene PfcclA and histone deacetylase gene PfhdaA) was developed in plant endophytic fungus Pestalotiopsis fici. The deletion of PfptaA with PfcclA and/or PfhdaA led to isolation of 1 novel compound, pestaloficiol X (1), as well as another 11 known compounds with obvious yield changes. The proposed biosynthesis pathway of pestaloficiol X was speculated using comparative analysis of homologous biosynthetic gene clusters. Moreover, phenotypic effects on the conidial development and response to oxidative stressors in the mutants were explored. Our results revealed that the new strain with deletion of PfcclA or PfhdaA in ΔPfptaA background host can neutralise the hyperformation of conidia in the PfptaA mutant, and that the ΔPfptaA ΔPfhdaA mutant was generally not sensitive to oxidative stressors as much as the ΔPfptaA ΔcclA mutant in comparison with the single mutant ΔPfptaA or the parental strains. This combinatorial approach can be applied to discover new natural products in filamentous fungi.

Emerimicins V-X, 15-Residue Peptaibols Discovered from an Acremonium sp. through Integrated Genomic and Chemical Approaches.

Fermentation of Acremonium tubakii W. Gams isolated from a soil sample collected from the University of Utah led to the isolation and characterization of six new linear pentadecapeptides, emerimicins V-X (1-6). Peptaibols containing 15-residues are quite rare, with only 22 reported. Genome mining and bioinformatic analysis were used to identify the emerimicin 60 kbp eme biosynthetic cluster harboring a single 16-module hybrid polyketide-nonribosomal peptide synthetase. A detailed bioinformatic investigation of the corresponding 15 adenylation domains, combined with 1D and 2D NMR experiments, LC-MS/MS data, and advanced Marfey's method, allowed for the elucidation and absolute configuration of all proteinogenic and nonproteinogenic amino acid residues in 1-6. As some peptaibols possess cytotoxic activity, a zebrafish embryotoxicity assay was used to evaluate the toxicity of the six emerimicins and showed that emerimicin V (1) and VI (2) exhibit the most potent activity. Additionally, out of the six emerimicins, 1 displayed modest activity against Enterococcus faecalis, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium with MIC values of 64, 32, and 64 µg/mL, respectively.

Construction of a Luminescent Cadmium-Based Metal-Organic Framework for Highly Selective Discrimination of Ferric Ions.

Fluorescent metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are ideal materials for sensors because of their adjustable pore size and functional groups, which provide them with favorable metal ion selective recognition. In this paper, a new cadmium-based MOF was synthesized using Cd(NO3)2·4H2O and 3,3',5,5'-biphenyltetracarboxylic acid by solvothermal method. CdBPTC owned three types of channels with dimensions of approximately 8.4 × 8.3 Å, 6.0 × 5.2 Å, 9.7 × 8.4 Å along a, b, and c axis, respectively. This MOF has high selectivity to ferric ions and shows excellent anti-inference ability toward many other cations. The results indicate that the fluorescence quenching efficiency of CdBPTC is close to 100% when the concentration of Fe3+ reaches 1.0 × 10-3 mol·L-1. Moreover, the luminescent intensity at 427 nm presents a linear relationship at a concentration range of 2.0 × 10-4~7.0 × 10-4 mol·L-1, which can be quantitatively expressed by the linear Stern-Volmer equation I0/I = 8489 [Fe3+] - 0.1400, which is comparable to the previously reported better-performing materials. Competitive energy absorption and ion exchange may be responsible for the variation in fluorescence intensity of CdBPTC in different Fe3+ concentrations.

Trichodermatides E and F from fungus Trichoderma applanatum.

Two new polyketide derivatives, trichodermatides E (1) and F (2), are unprecedented examples of a polyketide with 6/6/6/6 tetracyclic skeleton, together with five known analogs koninginin B (3), koninginin D (4), 7-O-methylkoninginin D (5), koninginins E and F (6-7), were isolated from the plant endophytic fungus Trichoderma applanatum. The structures of these two compounds were determined by NMR data and HR-ESI-MS analysis. The putative biosynthesis of compounds 1-7 was presented.

Aniline-Tetramic Acids from the Deep-Sea-Derived Fungus Cladosporium sphaerospermum L3P3 Cultured with the HDAC Inhibitor SAHA.

Four new tetramic acids, cladosins H-K (1-4), and a related known compound, cladodionen (5), were isolated from the culture of the Mariana Trench (depth 6562 m) sediment-derived fungus Cladosporium sphaerospermum L3P3 treated with the histone deacetylase inhibitor SAHA (suberanilohydroxamic acid). Interestingly, compounds 1-5 existed as equilibrium E/ Z mixtures and 1-4 were the first cases of tetramic acids containing aniline moieties. Their structures including absolute configurations were elucidated through a combination of NMR, MS, and Mosher's method, together with the consideration of biogenetic origins. Incubation experiments of exogenous aniline and N-phenyloctanamide revealed that the aniline moiety in cladosins H-K (1-4) is probably derived from the degradation of SAHA, indicating that the well-known histone deacetylase inhibitor SAHA could be metabolized by L3P3 and provide aniline as a precursor for biotransformation of chemically reactive polyketides. The cytotoxicity of 1-5 was evaluated against the PC-3, MGC-803, SH-SY5Y, HCT-116, K562, and HL-60 cell lines, and compound 2 showed promising cytotoxicity against the HL-60 cell line with an IC50 value of 2.8 µM.

Cytotoxic Tetrahydroxanthone Dimers from the Mangrove-Associated Fungus Aspergillus versicolor HDN1009.

Three new tetrahydroxanthone dimers, 5-epi-asperdichrome (1), versixanthones N (2), and O (3), were isolated from the mangrove-derived fungus Aspergillus versicolor HDN1009. Their structures, including the absolute configurations, were elucidated by NMR, HRMS, and circular dichroism (CD) experiments. Among them, compound 1 was the second example of tetrahydroxanthone dimers, which dimerized by a rare diaryl ether linkage and showed promising antibacterial activities against Vibrio parahemolyticus, Bacillus subtilis, Mycobacterium phlei, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with MIC values ranging from 100 µM to 200 µM; whilst compounds 2 and 3 exhibited extensive cytotoxicities against five cancer cell lines (HL-60, K562, H1975, MGC803, and HO-8910), with IC50 values ranging from 1.7 µM to 16.1 µM.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Prevents Cognitive Impairments in Mice Induced by D-Galactose by Improving Cholinergic and Anti-apoptotic Functions.

Our previous study demonstrated that hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) improved cognitive impairments mainly by regulating oxidative stress, inflammatory responses and aging-related gene expression. However, a method for preventing cognitive dysfunction has yet to be developed. In the present study, we explored the protective effects of HBO on the cholinergic system and apoptosis in D-galactose (D-gal)-treated mice. A model of aging was established via systemic intraperitoneal injection of D-gal daily for 8 weeks. HBO was administered during the last 2 weeks of D-gal injection. Our results showed that HBO in D-gal-treated mice significantly improved behavioral performance on the open field test and passive avoidance task. Studies on the potential mechanisms of this effect showed that HBO significantly reduced oxidative stress and blocked the nuclear factor-κB pathway. Moreover, HBO significantly increased the levels of choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholine and decreased the activity of acetylcholinesterase in the hippocampus. Furthermore, HBO markedly increased expression of the anti-apoptosis protein Bcl-2 and glial fibrillary acidic protein meanwhile decreased expression of the pro-apoptosis proteins Bax and caspase-3. Importantly, there was a significant reduction in expression of Aß-related genes, such as amyloid precursor protein, ß-site amyloid cleaving enzyme-1 and cathepsin B mRNA. These decreases were accompanied by significant increases in expression of neprilysin and insulin-degrading enzyme mRNA. Moreover, compared with the Vitamin E group, HBO combined with Vitamin E exhibited significant difference in part of the above mention parameters. These findings suggest that HBO may act as a neuroprotective agent in preventing cognitive impairments.

Bonnevillamides, Linear Heptapeptides Isolated from a Great Salt Lake-Derived Streptomyces sp.

Streptomyces sp. GSL-6B was isolated from sediment collected from the Great Salt Lake and investigation of its organic extract led to the isolation of three new linear heptapeptides, bonnevillamides A (1), B (2), and C (3). The bonnevillamides represent a new class of linear peptides featuring unprecedented non-proteinogenic amino acids. All three peptides contain the newly characterized bonnevillic acid moiety (3-(3,5-dichloro-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-hydroxyacrylic acid), as well as a heavily modified proline residue. Moreover, in bonnevillamide A, the terminal proline residue found in bonnevillamides B and C is replaced with 4-methyl-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid methyl ester. The structures of the three heptapeptides were elucidated by NMR, high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy (HRESIMS), and LC-MS/MS, and the absolute configuration of all proteinogenic amino acid residues were determined by advanced Marfey's method. Bonnevillamides A, B and C were evaluated for their effects on zebrafish embryo development. All three heptapeptides were shown to modulate heart growth and cardiac function, with bonnevillamide B having the most pronounced effect.

Cardioprotective Effects of Combined Therapy with Hyperbaric Oxygen and Diltiazem Pretreatment on Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Rats.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In this study, we examined whether the combination of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) and diltiazem therapy provided a cardioprotective effect on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) rat model. METHODS: Sixty healthy Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham, IR, diltiazem (5 mg/kg), HBO (0.25 MPa, 60 min) and combination therapy (HBO plus diltiazem) groups. MIRI model was established by ligating the left anterior descending for 30 min, followed by 60 min of reperfusion. RESULTS: The results show that HBO and diltiazem preconditioning significantly improves cardiac function and myocardial infarction area, increases nitric oxide, endothelial nitric oxide synthase and ATPase (Na+-K+-ATPase and Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase) activity and decreases levels of oxygen stress, myocardial enzymes and endothelin-1. Notably, HBO and diltiazem preconditioning significantly increased Bcl-2 protein expression and decreased Bax protein and caspase-3 mRNA expression. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that combination therapy protected against heart MIRI by reducing oxygen stress damage, correcting energy metabolism, improving endothelial function and inhibiting cell apoptosis.

Versixanthones A-F, Cytotoxic Xanthone-Chromanone Dimers from the Marine-Derived Fungus Aspergillus versicolor HDN1009.

Six unusual xanthone-chromanone dimers, versixanthones A-F (1-6), featuring different formal linkages of tetrahydroxanthone and 2,2-disubstituted chroman-4-one monomers, were isolated from a culture of the mangrove-derived fungus Aspergillus versicolor HDN1009. The absolute configurations of 1-6, representing the central and axial chirality elements or preferred helicities, were established by a combination of X-ray diffraction analysis, chemical conversions, and TDDFT-ECD calculations. The interconversion of different biaryl linkages between 1 and 4 and between 2 and 3 in DMSO by a retro-oxa-Michael mechanism provided insight into the formation of the xanthone-chromanone dimers and supported the assignments of their absolute configurations. Compounds 1-6 exhibited cytotoxicities against the seven tested cancer cell lines, with the best IC50 value of 0.7 µM. Compound 5 showed further inhibitory activity against topoisomerase I.

Cladosins F and G, two new hybrid polyketides from the deep-sea-derived Cladosporium sphaerospermum 2005-01-E3.

Two new fungal hybrid polyketides, cladosins F (1) and G (2), with rare 6(3)-enamino-8,10-dihydroxy-tetraketide system were discovered from the deep-sea-derived fungus Cladosporium sphaerospermum 2005-01-E3 guided by OSMAC approach. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of comprehensive spectroscopic analyses, and cytotoxicity, antitubercular, anti-influenza A H1N1 virus, and NF-κB inhibitory activities were evaluated.

Cladosins A-E, hybrid polyketides from a deep-sea-derived fungus, Cladosporium sphaerospermum.

Five new fungal hybrid polyketides, cladosins A-D (1-4), that contain a novel linear 6(3)-enamino-8,10-dihydroxy-tetraketide (1 and 2) or 6-enamino-7(8)-en-10-ol (3 and 4) moiety, as well as the biogenetically related cladosin E (5), were isolated from the deep-sea-derived fungus Cladosporium sphaerospermum 2005-01-E3. Their structures (1-5) were elucidated through a combination of spectroscopic data, chemical conversion, and both Mosher's and Marfey's methods for stereochemical assignment. A plausible biogenetic pathway to 1-5 is proposed. Cladosin C (3) possesses mild anti-influenza A H1N1 virus activity.

Transversal calcaneal anchored Achilles tendon reconstruction with free semitendinosus tendon autograft for acute rupture of Achilles tendon: clinical evaluation.

Achilles tendon reconstruction is an effective method of repairing Achilles tendon rupture defects. We introduce a new approach for Achilles tendon reconstruction using transversal calcaneal anchored autogenous semitendinosus tendon graft. The study aimed to evaluate the clinical role of this new Achilles tendon reconstruction. We retrospectively enrolled patients who underwent Achilles tendon reconstruction using transversal calcaneal anchored autogenous semitendinosus tendon graft for acute Achilles tendon rupture defects from 2016 to 2021. The clinical and radiological results were assessed at the preoperative and the final postoperative follow-up with Visual Analog Score (VAS) scores, American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) scores and Achilles tendon Total Rupture Scores (ATRS). Besides, at the last postoperative follow-up, the difference in ankle range of motion between the two side of the patients and the incidence of postoperative complications were recorded. Results revealed patients had significantly lower VAS and higher AOFAS and ATRS (P < 0.01). Compared to the healthy ankle, the operative ankle showed significant deficits in ankle range of motion (P < 0.01). Additionally, radiological results showed no noticeable signs of tunnel enlargement in the calcaneus and no patient had re-rupture. Transversal calcaneal anchored Achilles tendon reconstruction with free semitendinosus tendon autograft is an effective treatment option for patients with acute Achilles tendon rupture with large defects and have high postoperative exercise demands.

Advantages of robot-assisted PKP under local anesthesia in the treatment of OVCF: a retrospective, non-randomized, controlled, clinical study.

Background: Robot-assisted technology has been widely used in orthopedic surgery, which can provide surgeons with higher accuracy and reduce radiation exposure. In spinal surgery, robots are often used to assist pedicle screw implantation, while there are relatively few studies on robot-assisted percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) under local anesthesia. Methods: A total of 96 patients with single-segment OVCF who met the inclusion criteria were included in this study. Fifty-six patients underwent robot-assisted PKP and forty patients underwent conventional PKP by the same group of surgeons. Collect the relevant parameters. Results: The puncture time and fluoroscopy times during puncture in the robot group were significantly less than those in the manual group (P < 0.001). The success rate of first puncture in the robot group was 92.5%. Conclusions: PKP under local anesthesia assisted by the new spinal surgical robot effectively reduces the patient's intraoperative discomfort and has a low learning curve.