Stucturally Diverse Sesquiterpenes Produced by a Chinese Tibet Fungus Stereum hirsutum and Their Cytotoxic and Immunosuppressant Activities.

Two new heterodimeric sesquiterpenes, sterhirsutins C (1) and D (2), along with eight new sesquiterpenoid derivatives, sterhirsutins E--L (3-10), were isolated from the culture of Stereum hirsutum. The absolute configuration of 1 was assigned by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiment. Compounds 1 and 2 possessed an unprecedented chemical skeleton with a 5/5/5/6/9/4 fused ring system. Compound 10 is the first sesquiterpene coupled with a xanthine moiety. Compounds 1-10 showed cytotoxicity against K562 and HCT116 cell lines. Compound 9 induced autophagy in HeLa cells. Compound 5 inhibited the activation of IFNß promoter in Sendai virus infected cells.

New ambuic acid derivatives from the solid culture of Pestalotiopsis neglecta and their nitric oxide inhibitory activity.

Four new ambuic acid derivatives (1-4), and four known derivatives (5-8), were isolated from the solid culture of a plant pathogenic fungus Pestalotiopsis neglecta. Their structures were elucidated by extensive NMR experiments. The absolute configuration of the C-16 secondary alcohol in 1 was deduced via the CD data of the in situ formed [Rh2(OCOCF3)4] complex with the acetonide derivative of 1. The absolute configuration in 3 was assigned by comparison of the experimental and simulated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectrum. The NMR data of compound 5 was reported for the first time. In the nitric oxide (NO) inhibition assay, compounds 4, 6 and 7 showed inhibitory activity against the NO production in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced macrophage with IC50 values of 88.66, 11.20, and 20.80 µM, respectively.

3-Anhydro-6-hydroxy-ophiobolin A, a fungal sesterterpene from Bipolaris oryzae induced autophagy and promoted the degradation of α-synuclein in PC12 cells.

Autophagy is defined as an evolutionarily conserved process responsible for degradation of the cytoplasmic components including protein aggregates via the lysosomal machinery. Increasing evidence has linked defective autophagic degradation of protein aggregates with the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders, and it is suggested that promotion of autophagy is regarded as a potential therapeutic for these diseases including Parkinson's disease (PD). Here we identified, 3-anhydro-6-hydroxy-ophiobolin A (X15-2), an ophiobolin derivative from Bipolaris oryzae that can strongly induce autophagic degradation of α-synuclein, the major constituent of Lewy bodies. We showed that X15-2 induced autophagy is dependent on both Beclin1 and Beclin2. Knockout of ATG5 by CRISPER/Cas9 prevented X15-2 induced autophagy and degradation of α-synuclein. Mechanistically, we showed that X15-2 induces ROS and the activation of JNK signaling for the autophagic degradation of α-synuclein in PC12 cells.

Erinacerins C-L, isoindolin-1-ones with α-glucosidase inhibitory activity from cultures of the medicinal mushroom Hericium erinaceus.

The well-known edible and medicinal mushroom Hericium erinaceus produces various bioactive secondary metabolites. Ten new isoindolin-1-ones, named erinacerins C-L (1-10), together with (E)-5-(3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-dien-1-yl)-4-hydroxy-6-methoxy-2-phenethylisoindolin-1-one (11) were isolated from the solid culture of H. erinaceus. The structures of new metabolites were established by spectroscopic methods. The absolute configurations of 3, 4, 9, and 10 were assigned by comparing their specific rotations with those of related phthalimidines (13-20). Compounds 5 and 6, 7 and 8, and 9 and 10 are double-bond positional isomers. In a α-glucosidase inhibition assay, compounds 2-11 showed inhibitory activity with IC50 values ranging from 5.3 to 145.1 µM. Preliminary structure-activity analysis indicated that the terpenoid side chain and the phenolic hydroxy groups contributed greatly to the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of 1-11. In a cytotoxicity assay, compound 11 also presented weak cytotoxicity against two cell lines, A549 and HeLa, with IC50 values of 49.0 and 40.5 µM.

Cochlioquinone derivatives with apoptosis-inducing effects on HCT116 colon cancer cells from the phytopathogenic fungus Bipolaris luttrellii L439.

A new cochlioquinone derivative, cochlioquinone F (1), as well as three known compounds, anhydrocochlioquinone A (2), isocochlioquinone A (3), and isocochlioquinone C (4), were isolated from the PDB (potato dextrose broth) culture of the phytopathogenic fungus Bipolaris luttrellii. The structure of 1 was elucidated on the basis of NMR techniques. The apoptosis-inducing effects of compounds 1-4 were evaluated against HCT116 cancer cells. Compound 2 exhibited the strongest activity in inducing apoptosis on HCT116 cells within the range of 10-30 µM. In addition, the caspase activation, the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria, and the downregulation of Bcl-2 protein in HCT116 cells treated with compound 2 were detected.

Sterhirsutins A and B, two new heterodimeric sesquiterpenes with a new skeleton from the culture of Stereum hirsutum collected in Tibet Plateau.

Two new heterodimeric sesquiterpenes, sterhirsutins A (1) and B (2), and two new sesquiterpenes, hirsutic acids D-E (3 and 4), were identified from the culture of Stereum hirsutum. The absolute configurations in 1 and 2 were confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Compounds 1 and 2 are likely biosynthesized from a hirsutane-type sesquiterpene and α-humulene by a hetero-Diels-Alder cycloaddition. Compounds 1-4 showed cytotoxicity against K562 and HCT116 cell lines.

Coicenals A-D, four new diterpenoids with new chemical skeletons from the plant pathogenic fungus Bipolaris coicis.

Coicenals A-C (1-3) possessing a previously undescribed 10-(sec-butyl)-6-hydroxy-1,7,9-trimethyl-1,6,7,8,9,9a-hexahydro-1,4-methanobenzo[d]oxepin-2(4H)-ylidene)acetaldehyde skeleton and coicenal D (4) with a new 2-(sec-butyl)-5-hydroxy-1,6,8-trimethyl-2,5,6,7,8,8a-hexahydro-1H-4a,1-(epoxymethano)naphthalen-10-ylidene)acetaldehyde skeleton were isolated from the solid culture of the plant pathogenic fungus Bipolaris coicis. The absolute configurations in 1 and 4 were assigned by electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Compounds 1 and 2 were transformed into 4 and 5 by treatment with acetyl chloride, respectively. Compounds 1-4 showed moderate inhibitory activity against NO release with IC50 values of 16.34 ± 1.12, 23.55 ± 1.37, 10.82 ± 0.83, and 54.20 ± 2.82 µM, respectively.

3-Anhydro-6-hydroxy-ophiobolin A, a new sesterterpene inhibiting the growth of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and inducing the cell death by apoptosis on K562, from the phytopathogenic fungus Bipolaris oryzae.

A new ophiobolin derivative, 3-anhydro-6-hydroxy-ophiobolin A (1), as well as two known ophiobolin derivatives 3-anhydro-ophiobolin A (2) and 3-anhydro-6-epi-ophiobolin A (3) were isolated from the PDB culture of a phytopathogenic fungus Bipolaris oryzae. The structure of 1 was elucidated through 2D NMR and other spectroscopic techniques. Compound 1 exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against Bacille Calmette-Guerin, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus with MIC value of 12.5 µg/mL, and potent antiproliferative activity against cell lines HepG2 and K562 with IC50 of 6.49 µM and 4.06 µM, respectively. Further studies on the cytotoxicity of compound 1 against K562 cells demonstrated that it induced apoptosis, observed by flow cytometric method. Preliminary structure-activity relationships of these ophiobolins and the mechanism of apoptosis induced by 1 were analyzed.