Anti-MRSA actinomycins D1-D4 from the marine sponge-associated Streptomyces sp. LHW52447

Actinomycins D₁?D₄ (1–4), four new D-type actinomycin analogues, were isolated from the fermentation broth of a strain of marine sponge-associated Streptomyces sp. LHW52447, together with actinomycin D (5). The structures of 1?4 were determined by a combination analysis of HRMS and NMR spectroscopic methods, and their absolute configurations of amino acids were determined by Marfey's analysis. Actinomycins D₁ (1) and D₂ (2) are the first two naturally occurring actinomycins with incorporation an oxazole unit into the central phenoxazinone chromophore. Both 1 and 2 showed more potent antibacterial activities against three strains of pathogenic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with MIC values of 0.125–0.25?μg/mL than those of 3?5 with MIC values of 0.5–1.0?μg/mL, which suggested that the anti-MRSA activity might be enhanced by the incorporation of an additional oxazole unit. In addition, the cytotoxicity evaluation against WI-38 human diploid lung fibroblasts revealed that the incorporation of oxazole unit could decrease the cytotoxicity of actinomycins on human normal cells.