New Cytotoxic Meroterpenoids from the Plant Endophytic Fungus Pestalotiopsis fici

Pestalofones I – K ( 1 – 3 ), three new dimeric meroterpenoids with 2‐(7‐benzoyl‐2,3‐dihydrobenzofuran‐2‐yl)‐1‐phenylethan‐1‐one (in 1 ) and 2‐(7‐benzoyl‐2,3‐dihydrobenzofuran‐2‐yl)‐1‐(3,8‐dioxatricyclo[5.1.0.0^2,4]oct‐4‐yl)ethan‐1‐one (in 2 and 3 ) skeletons, were isolated from the solid cultures of the plant endophytic fungus Pestalotiopsis fici. The structures of 1 – 3 were elucidated by NMR experiments. Compound 1 was found to be present as a racemic mixture. The absolute configurations of 2 and 3 were deduced by analogy to the previously isolated metabolites pestalofones G and H ( 4 and 5 ) from the same fungus. Biogenetically, compounds 1 – 3 are derived from the same precursors (co‐isolated compounds 9 and 10 ) as the previously isolated compounds 4 – 8 . Compounds 2 and 3 showed weak cytotoxic activities against four human tumor cell lines T24, HeLa, A549, and MCF‐7.     

Periconones B-E,new meroterpenoids from endophytic fungus Periconia sp.

Periconones B-E(1-4),four new polyketide-terpenoid hybrid molecules were isolated from the endophytic fungus Periconia sp.F-31.Their structures and absolute configurations were established by extensive spectroscopic data analysis and electronic circular dichroism(ECD).Compound 4 exhibited in vitro cytotoxic activity against the human MCF-7 tumor cell line with an IC_(50) value of 4.2 μmol/L,and compound 1 displayed anti-HIV activity with an IC_(50) value of 18.0 μmol/L.     

Polyketides and Meroterpenoids from Neosartorya glabra

Two new polyketides, neosarphenols A and B ( 1 and 2 , resp.), were isolated from Neosartorya glabra, together with six known polyketides, 3 – 8 , and two meroterpenoids, 9 and 10 . The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analysis, especially by HR‐ESI‐MS and NMR experiments. All compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against MDA‐MB‐231, MCF‐7, and PANC‐1 tumor cell lines; 1 and 6 exhibited selective and moderate cytotoxicities against PANC‐1 cell line.     

A Negishi cross-coupling reaction enables the total synthesis of (+)-stachyflin

We present a full account on the development of the total synthesis of the antiviral meroterpenoid (+)-stachyflin. The decalin subunit is rapidly accessed by an exo-selective Diels–Alder reaction, whereas the isonindolinone was synthesized via a highly efficient and practical de novo route starting from dimedone. A challenging sp²–sp³ Negishi cross-coupling reaction enabled construction of the crucial C15–C16 bond that connects the arene with the decalin subunit. For the final installation of the cis-decalin framework, a Lewis acid-catalyzed cyclization was applied.     

Chemical-epigenetic method to enhance the chemodiversity of the marine algicolous fungus, Aspergillus terreus OUCMDZ-2739

Four new meroterpenoids identified as (R)-4-((2,2-dimethylchroman-6-yl)methyl)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-5-methoxyfuran-2(5H)-one (1), 1-(2,2-dimethylchroman-6-yl)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propan-2-one (2), (R,E)-3-(2,2-dimethylchroman-6-yl)-4-hydroxy-5-((2-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran-5-yl)methylene)furan-2(5H)-one (3), methyl (R)-2-(2-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran-5-yl) acetate (4), along with nine known compounds (5–13) were isolated from a chemical-epigenetic culture of Aspergillus terreus OUCMDZ-2739 with 10 μM trichostatin A (TSA). Under the same condition without TSA, A. terreus OUCMDZ-2739 produced different compounds (14–20), supporting that the chemical-epigenetic modification of fungi could enrich the chemodiversity of the fungal products. The cytotoxicity was observed for compound 8 against K562 cell, 9 against MCF-7 and K562 cells and 12 against MCF-7 cell with IC₅₀ values of 9.5, 10.1, 13.0 and 8.5 μM, respectively. Compounds 3, 8 and 17 exhibited stronger α-glucosidase inhibition than 1-deoxynojirimycin and acarbose (positive controls) with IC₅₀ values of 24.8, 1.2, 61.6, 191.7 and 555.1 μM, respectively. The enzyme kinetics study further indicated that compound 8 was an anticompetitive inhibitor with K_i value of 1.42 μM.     

A silica-gel accelerated [4 + 2] cycloaddition-based biomimetic approach towards the first total synthesis of magterpenoid C

The first total synthesis of magterpenoid C has been realized via a silica gel accelerated biomimetic Diels-Alder reaction between β-myrcene and randaiol derived quinone. However, application of similar strategy towards magterpenoid B via a protective Diels-Alder reaction failed to deliver the natural product.     

Dissection of the Catalytic Mechanisms of Transmembrane Terpene Cyclases Involved in Fungal Meroterpenoid Biosynthesis

Pyr4-family terpene cyclases are noncanonical transmembrane terpene cyclases involved in the biosynthesis of microbial meroterpenoids and catalyze diverse cyclization reactions. Despite the ubiquity of Pyr4-family terpene cyclases in microorganisms, their three-dimensional structures have never been experimentally determined. Herein, we focused on AdrI, the Pyr4-family enzyme for the andrastin A pathway, and its homologues, and performed a series of mutational experiments using their AlphaFold2-generated structures. Intriguingly, we found that AdrI and InsA7, which both accept the same substrate, use different amino acid residues for the initiation of the cyclization cascade. Furthermore, we obtained several AdrI variants with altered product selectivity, one of which dominantly yielded a new meroterpenoid species. Collectively, our study provides important insights into the catalytic functions of Pyr4-family terpene cyclases and will facilitate the engineering of these enzymes.