Antimicrobial secondary metabolites of an endolichenic Aspergillus niger isolated from lichen thallus of Parmotrema ravum

Abstract

A new 6-benzyl-γ-pyrone (1), named aspergyllone was isolated from the culture filtrates of an endolichenic fungus Aspergillus niger Tiegh, obtained from lichen thallus Parmotrema ravum (Krog & Swinscow) Serus, collected in India. 1 was isolated for the first time from an endolichenic fungus together with six other known metabolites identified as aurasperones A (2) and D (3), asperpyrone A (4), fonsecinone A (5), carbonarone A (6) and pyrophen (7). The compounds were tested against a panel of human, plant, food borne and fish pathogens. Aspergyllone showed strong selective antifungal activity against Candida parapsilosis (Ashford) Langeron & Talice, with an IC₅₀ of 52?µg/mL. Aurasperone A and pyrophen showed moderate to strong antimicrobial activity inhibiting seven different test pathogens, being pyrophen active with IC₅₀ ranging from 35 to 97?µg/mL.

     

Orientation and Restricted Rotation of Lopsided Aromatic Ligands. Octahedral Complexes Derived from cis-RuCl(2)(Me(2)SO)(4)

The solution and solid state structures of two octahedral Ru(II) complexes, cis,cis,cis-RuCl(2)(Me(2)SO)(2)(py)(Me(3)Bzm) (Me(3)Bzm = 1,5,6-trimethylbenzimidazole, py = pyridine) (1) and cis,cis,cis-RuCl(2)(Me(2)SO)(2)(Me(3)Bzm)(2) (2), were compared. 2, the subject of a preliminary report, is described in more detail here. 1 has two possible geometric isomers with py trans to Cl in one (position "a") and trans to Me(2)SO in the other (position "b"), Me(3)Bzm occupying the other position in each isomer. The X-ray structure of 1 revealed that py is at "a". Since Me(3)Bzm is lopsided, each Me(3)Bzm has two possible orientations related by a rotation of approximately 180 degrees about the Ru-N3 bond; there are two possible atropisomers for each geometric isomer of 1 and four for 2. For 1, the solid state structure shows that Me(3)Bzm adopts the orientation with H2 (H on C between the two N's) pointing between the two cis Cl ligands, the same disposition as Me(3)Bzm "b" in 2 in the solid. For 1, the py signals (two broad py alpha and beta signals, a sharp gamma signal) in CDCl(3) show that py "a" is rotating on the NMR time scale and that only one atropisomer is present. This interpretation was supported by ROESY and EXSY (1)H NMR spectra. The (1)H NMR shift pattern and the NOE data can be understood best if Me(3)Bzm "b" remains primarily in the orientation found in the solid. The solution data for 1, with the nonlopsided and sterically less demanding py ligand, provide insight into the more complicated properties of 2. For 2, there is a marked dispersion of (1)H NMR signals of Me(3)Bzm "a" between the two atropisomers, which have nearly equal stability. One atropisomer is a head-to-head (HH) and the other a head-to-tail (HT) species. Me(3)Bzm "a" flips between the two species. Thus, ligand "a" is fluxional in both complexes. The dispersion of Me(3)Bzm "a" signals is due to the effect of Me(3)Bzm "b" anisotropy. For 1 and both atropisomers of 2, Me(3)Bzm "b" prefers one orientation, which appears to be the most hindered orientation. We postulate that the H2 of Me(3)Bzm "b" is electrostatically attracted to the two cis halides, accounting for this surprising result. Crystallographic details for 1 are as follows: C(19)H(29)Cl(2)N(3)O(2)RuS(2), P2(1)/c, a = 10.947(1) ?, b = 9.046(1) ?, c = 24.221(2) ?, D(calcd) = 1.580 g cm(-)(3), Z = 4, R = 0.026 for 4627 independent reflections.     

Determination of the 2H/1H, 17O/16O,and 18O/16O isotope ratios in water by means of tunable diode laser spectroscopy at 1.39 microm

We demonstrate the feasibility of the accurate and simultaneous measurement of the 2H/1H, 17O/16O, and 18O/16O isotope ratios in water vapor by means of tunable diode laser spectroscopy. The absorptions are due to the v1 + v3 combination band, observed using a room temperature, distributed feedback (DFB) diode laser at 1.39 microm. The precision of the instrument is approximately 3, 1, and 0.5/1000 for the 2H, 17O, and 18O isotope ratios, respectively, and is at present limited by residual optical feedback to the laser. The signal-to-noise, however, is superior to that obtained in a similar experiment using a color center laser at 2.7 microm. Replacing the current laser with a better unit, we are confident that a precision well below 1/1000 is attainable for all three isotope ratios. The diode laser apparatus is ideally suited for applications demanding a reliable, cheap, and/or portable instrument, such as the biomedical doubly labeled water method and atmospheric sensing.     

Metalloporphyrins as chemical shift reagents: the unambiguous NMR characterization of the cis- and trans-isomers of meso-(bis)-4′-pyridyl-(bis)-4′-carboxymethylphenylporphyrins

The condensation of pyrrole with 4-pyridylcarboxyaldehyde and methyl 4-formyl benzoate under Adler-Longo conditions yielded the series of meso-(4′-pyridyl)/(4′-carboxymethylphenyl)porphyrins as a mixture. Careful column chromatography afforded each isomer in pure form. In this paper we focus on the two bis-substituted isomeric meso-porphyrins, 5,10-bis(4′-pyridyl)-15,20-bis(4′-carboxymethylphenyl)porphyrin and 5,15-bis(4′-pyridyl)-10,20-bis(4′-carboxymethylphenyl)porphyrin, respectively, 4′-cis and 4′-transDPyDMeP. The assignment of the geometry of the two isomers was performed by ¹H NMR spectroscopy on the trinuclear adducts [(4′-cisDPyDMeP){Ru(TPP)(CO)}₂] and [(4′-transDPyDMeP){Ru(TPP)(CO)}₂], obtained by selective coordination of [Ru(TPP)(CO)(EtOH)] (TPP=tetraphenylporphyrin) to the peripheral nitrogen atoms. The axially bound ruthenium porphyrins act as chemical shift reagents on the central porphyrin, allowing a clear distinction of the pyrrole proton resonances and consequent unambiguous assignment of the geometry of each isomer based upon symmetry considerations.     

Local properties of quantum chemical systems: the LoProp approach

A new method is presented, which makes it possible to partition molecular properties like multipole moments and polarizabilities, into atomic and interatomic contributions. The method requires a subdivision of the atomic basis set into occupied and virtual basis functions for each atom in the molecular system. The localization procedure is organized into a series of orthogonalizations of the original basis set, which will have as a final result a localized orthonormal basis set. The new localization procedure is demonstrated to be stable with various basis sets, and to provide physically meaningful localized properties. Transferability of the methyl properties for the alkane series and of the carbon and hydrogen properties for the benzene, naphtalene, and anthracene series is demonstrated.     

On the mechanism of the cis-trans isomerization in the lowest electronic states of azobenzene: S0, S1, and T1

In this paper, we identify the most efficient decay and isomerization route of the S(1), T(1), and S(0) states of azobenzene. By use of quantum chemical methods, we have searched for the transition states (TS) on the S(1) potential energy surface and for the S(0)/S(1) conical intersections (CIs) that are closer to the minimum energy path on the S(1). We found only one TS, at 60 degrees of CNNC torsion from the E isomer, which requires an activation energy of only 2 kcal/mol. The lowest energy CIs, lying also 2 kcal/mol above the S(1) minimum, were found on the torsion pathway for CNNC angles in the range 95-90 degrees. The lowest CI along the inversion path was found ca. 25 kcal/mol higher than the S(1) minimum and was characterized by a highly asymmetric molecular structure with one NNC angle of 174 degrees. These results indicate that the S(1) state decay involves mainly the torsion route and that the inversion mechanism may play a role only if the molecule is excited with an excess energy of at least 25 kcal/mol with respect to the S(1) minimum of the E isomer. We have calculated the spin-orbit couplings between S(0) and T(1) at several geometries along the CNNC torsion coordinate. These spin-orbit couplings were about 20-30 cm(-)(1) for all the geometries considered. Since the potential energy curves of S(0) and T(1) cross in the region of twisted CNNC angle, these couplings are large enough to ensure that the T(1) lifetime is very short ( approximately 10 ps) and that thermal isomerization can proceed via the nonadiabatic torsion route involving the S(0)-T(1)-S(0) crossing with preexponential factor and activation energy in agreement with the values obtained from kinetic measures.     

Phytotoxic metabolites by nine species of Botryosphaeriaceae involved in grapevine dieback in Australia and identification of those produced by Diplodia mutila,Diplodia seriata,Neofusicoccum australe and Neofusicoccum luteum

Botryosphaeria dieback is one of the main trunk diseases of grapevine caused by several species of Botryosphaeriaceae. Twenty-four fungal isolates representing the eight most widespread and most virulent Botryosphaeriaceae were tested for their ability to produce phytotoxic metabolites. The chromatographic profiles of their culture filtrates organic extracts showed the ability of all isolates to produce several and different metabolites. When tested on grapevine leaves and tomato cuttings the organic extracts phytotoxicity varied among isolates and species. To our knowledge, this is the first study on phytotoxic compounds produced by Botryosphaeriaceae species found in Australian vineyards. The phytotoxic metabolites produced by Diplodia seriata, Diplodia mutila, Neofusicoccum australe and, for the first time, by Neofusicoccum luteum were isolated and chemically identified essentially by spectroscopic methods.

     

Understanding the orientation and dynamic motion of planar heterocyclic N-donor ligands by exploiting the symmetry properties of mixed-ligand mu-oxorhenium(V) dinuclear complexes

Factors influencing the orientation and dynamic motions of planar N-donor heterocyclic ligands (L) are of interest since such features have broad relevance in metallobiochemistry [Marzilli, L. G.; Marzilli, P. A.; Alessio, E. Pure Appl. Chem. 1998, 70, 961-968]. We found that mu-oxorhenium(V) dinuclear complexes [ReOCl2LsLt]-O-[ReOCl2LsLt] bearing either symmetrical (L = py = pyridine; 3,5-lut = 3,5-lutidine) or lopsided (L = Me3-Bzm = 1,5,6-trimethylbenzimidazole) cis L ligands are particularly useful for studying these factors. NMR data showed that terminal (Lt) and stacked (Ls) ligands were exchanged by approximately 180 degrees rotation about the Re-O-Re bond system. Such exchange occurred, however, between degenerate chiral conformers. Here we report a combined X-ray structural and solution NMR investigation of the AA + CC (racemic) and AC (meso) forms of two mixed-ligand mu-oxorhenium dimers that bear one lopsided and one symmetrical ligand on each Re atom, namely, Re2O3-Cl4(py)2(Me3Bzm)2 (1rac and 1meso) and Re2O3Cl4(3,5-lut)2(Me3Bzm)2 (2rac and 2meso). The presence of two different cis L ligands in 1 and 2 breaks the local symmetry at each Re atom, so that, in the racemic dimers, the exchange of terminal and stacked ligands leads to nondegenerate conformers. Overall, NMR data showed that the unsymmetrical dimers 1 and 2 undergo two dynamic processes contemporaneously, namely, 180 degrees rotation about the Re-N(py or 3,5-lut) bond and coupled rotation about the Re-O-Re/Re-N bonds. Both processes reach the slow exchange limit below -80 degrees C. Rotation of py in 1 occurs faster than that of 3,5-lut in 2; this difference is attributed to the higher steric demands of 3,5-lut compared to py. For both dimers NMR data provided compelling evidence of the preferred conformers in solution, including ligand orientations. The low-T solution structure of 1meso and 2meso is chiral, the same as that found in the solid state for 2meso, where the Me3Bzm on one Re atom is stacked with the 3,5-lut on the other Re atom. The remaining Me3Bzm and 3,5-lut, one on each Re atom, are both terminal. In solution the coupled Re-O-Re/Re-N rotations interconvert the two halves of each meso dimer to yield the same overall stable chiral conformation. For the racemic dimers, however, this process does not interconvert one enantiomer into the other, but instead interconverts two rotamers, R1 and R2, each of which is chiral. We found that, in the case of both 1rac and 2rac, the conformer with stacking symmetrical ligands (R1) is roughly 1 order of magnitude more stable than that with stacking Me3Bzm ligands (R2). Moreover, the solution conformation of R1 is the same as that found in the solid state of 1rac. Solution- and solid-state data indicate that the key interaction favoring the observed conformations is very likely the electrostatic attraction between the delta+ H2 atoms on the Me3Bzm ligands and the negative O and Cl groups in the core of the dimers. Finally, for both meso and racemic dimers we were also able to elucidate the preferred pathways of the coupled dynamic motions and establish that, very likely, the two halves of the dimers swing back and forth by approximately 130 degrees through the anti eclipsed form.     

On the genus of 4-dimensional products of manifolds

Summary We determine bounds for the regular genus of any 4-manifold, which is a product of by a closed 3-manifold, or a product of two closed surfaces. This is done by an explicit construction of a graph representing the manifold, and by finding a minimal regular imbedding of it.

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Sunto Determiniamo una limitazione del genere regolare di una 4-varieta prodotto di per una 3-varieta chiusa, o prodotto di due superficie chiuse, costruendo esplicitamente un grafo che la rappresenta, e trovandone un'immersione regolare minimale.

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This work was performed under the auspieces of the G.N.S.A.G.A. of the C.N.R. (National Research Council) of Italy.     

Combinatorial handles and manifolds with boundary

In this work we complete the study ofcombinatorial handles in (n+1)-coloured graphs with boundary, introduced in [G₁], [L] and [GV] for graphs with empty boundary and in [BGV] for 3-coloured graphs with boundary. In particular, we study the cancelling of a combinatorial handle from an (n+1)-coloured graph and its effects on the associated complex.Work performed under the auspices of the G.N.S.A.G.A. — C.N.R., and within the Project Geometria reale e complessa, supported by M.U.R.S.T. of Italy.