Isolation and characterization of unusual hydrazides from Streptomyces sp. impact of the cultivation support and extraction procedure.

Three novel hydrazides, geralcins C-E (1-3), were isolated from Streptomyces sp. LMA-545, together with MH-031 and geralcins A and B. This unusual family of compounds was isolated from liquid-state and agar-supported fermentation using Amberlite XAD-16 solid-phase extraction during the cultivation step. The use of such neutral resin during the cultivation step allowed the specific adsorption of microbial secondary metabolites, avoiding any contamination of the crude extracts by the constituents of the culture medium. The trapped compounds were eluted from the resin with methanol, and their structures elucidated using (1)H, (13)C, and (15)N NMR spectroscopic analysis and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Molecular modeling calculations were applied in order to support structural attributions. No antimicrobial, cytotoxic, or DnaG-inhibition activities were detected for geralcins D and E. Geralcin C has no antimicrobial activity but exhibited an IC(50) of 0.8 µM against KB and HCT116 cancer cell lines. Furthermore, geralcin C inhibited the E. coli DnaG primase, a Gram-negative antimicrobial target, with an IC(50) of 0.7 mM.

Biotransformation of natural compounds: unexpected thio conjugation of Sch-642305 with 3-mercaptolactate catalyzed by Aspergillus niger ATCC 16404 cells.

Sch-642305 is produced by the endophytic fungi Phomopsis sp. CMU-LMA and exhibits both antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities. The incubation of Sch-642305 with Aspergillus niger ATCC 16404 resting cells leads to two unexpected thio conjugates. Compound (1) is formed by the addition of the cysteine metabolite 3-mercaptolactate to the double bond of Sch-642305. Compound (1) undergoes an intramolecular rearrangement to give compound (2), which contains two rings: a five-membered hydroxylactone ring and a five-membered thiophene ring. The absolute configuration of compound (1) is similar to that of the parent compound, but the configuration of the mercaptolactate side-chain was not determined. The absolute configuration of compound (2) was deduced from the crystal structure and confirmed by the anomal effect of the sulfur atom. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time such a conjugation rearrangement reactions were observed. The biological significance and the reaction mechanisms are discussed. Compound (1) exhibits a weak antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, whereas derivatives (1) and (2) showed an IC50 of 1 and 1.2 µM, respectively, against colonic epithelial cancer cells.

Isolation and characterization of α,ß-unsaturated γ-lactono-hydrazides from Streptomyces sp.

Two novel α,ß-unsaturated γ-lactono-hydrazides, geralcin A (2) and geralcin B (3), were isolated from Streptomyces sp. LMA-545. This unusual scaffold consists of the condensation of alkyl-hydrazide with an α,ß-unsaturated γ-lactone, 3-(5-oxo-2H-furan-4-yl)propanoic acid (1), which was isolated from the same broth culture. Amberlite XAD-16 solid-phase extraction was used during the cultivation step, and the trapped compounds (1-3) were eluted from the resin with methanol. The structures were elucidated using (1)H, (13)C, and (15)N NMR spectroscopic analysis and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Geralcin B (3) was cytotoxic against MDA231 breast cancer cells with an IC(50) of 5 µM.

Isolation, structure elucidation and biological activity of metabolites from Sch-642305-producing endophytic fungus Phomopsis sp. CMU-LMA.

Eight polyketide compounds were isolated from the cultivation broth of Phomopsis sp. CMU-LMA. We have recently described LMA-P1, a bicyclic 10-membered macrolide, obtained as a bioconversion derivative of Sch-642305, the major compound isolated in this study. Benquinol is the ethyl ester derivative of the 13-dihydroxytetradeca-2,4,8-trienoic acid produced by Valsa ambiens. This compound is concomitantly produced with the 6,13-dihydroxytetradeca-2,4,8-trienoic acid (DHTTA) previously isolated from Mycosphaerellarubella. The absolute configuration of the new compound, (2R,3R,4S,5R)-3-hydroxy-2,4-dimethyl-5-[(S,Z)-3-methylpentenyl]-tetrahydro-pyranone LMA-P2 was confirmed by X-ray crystallography. The δ-lactone 2,3-dihydroxytetradecan-5-olide (DHTO) was previously isolated from Seiridium unicorne. This compound may form through the cyclization of the methyl-2,3,5-trihydroxytridecanoate LMA-P3, a new linear polyketide isolated in this study. Benquoine, a new 14-membered lactone generated from the cyclization of benquinol, is proposed as the key precursor for the biosynthesis of Sch-642305. Antimicrobial activity and cancer cell viability inhibition by the new compounds were investigated. Benquoine exhibits antimicrobial activity against Gram positive bacteria, and cytotoxicity against HCT-116 cancer cell line.

Biotransformation of natural compounds. Oxido-reduction of Sch-642305 by Aspergillus ochraceus ATCC 1009.

Sch-642305 is the major compound produced by the endophytic fungi Phomopsis sp. CMU-LMA. Incubation of Sch-642305 with Aspergillus ochraceus ATCC 1009 resting cells leads to three new derivatives through an oxido-reduction of the six-membered ring of the molecule. Reduction of the double bound leads to compound (1), which subsequently undergoes carbonyl reduction to (2) and ring hydroxylation to (3). According to the previously solved crystal structure of Sch-642305 coupled with (1)H NMR NOE correlation and the crystal structure of compound 1, the absolute configurations of the new derivatives were established. In contrast to the parent compound Sch-642305, compound (1) exhibits antimicrobial activity against gram-negative bacteria. Furthermore, while all derivatives exhibit cytotoxic activity against various cancer cell lines, compound (2) achieved an IC(50) of 4 nM against human myelogenous leukemia K 562, compared to 20 nM for the parent Sch-642305.

Synthesis of imidazole-containing analogues of farnesyl pyrophosphate and evaluation of their biological activity on protein farnesyltransferase.

With the aim of creating new bisubstrate inhibitors of protein farnesyltransferase (FTase), new carboxylic farnesyl pyrophosphate analogues have been designed and synthesized. The original structures are built around three elements: a prenyl moiety, a 1,4-diacid motif and an imidazole ring. All the compounds were evaluated for their ability to inhibit FTase and compared with the corresponding derivatives lacking the imidazole ring, synthesized for that purpose. These new compounds are not bisubstrate inhibitors probably because the imidazole ring is not in the right position to interact with the zinc atom. However these derivatives display FPP competitive inhibition with a good activity in the carboxylic farnesyl pyrophosphate analogues series.

Photochemical reactivity of trifluoromethyl aromatic amines: the example of 3,5-diamino-trifluoromethyl-benzene (3,5-DABTF).

This work presents the application of an on-line photoreactor to the detection of 3,5-diamino-trifluoromethyl-benzene (3,5-DABTF) in aqueous solutions. When irradiated at 310 nm, this compound is defluorinated to 3,5-diaminobenzoic acid by a nucleophilic substitution of the fluoride by water. Concomitantly, defluorination intermediates polymerize through amide bonds to give dark-colored compounds. We take advantage of the photocatalyzed defluorination and the subsequent decrease in pH to develop an original and specific photoreactor. Continuous recording of pH and temperature in the outlet of the reactor by a dual electrode gives us an opportunity to optimize the system. In the photoreactor, 3,5-DABTF is immediately and totally transformed as attested by the rapid drop of the flowing solution pH from 6.2 to 3.2 and the chromatographic analysis of the outgoing solutions. The detection remains effective from 1 to 1000 parts per million.