Helminthosporium velutinum yone96 produces cyclohelminthol X (1), a unique hexa-substituted spirocyclopropane. Although its molecular formula and NMR spectral data resemble those of AD0157, being isolated from marine fungus Paraconiothyrium sp. HL-78-gCHSP3-B005, our detailed analyses disclosed a totally different structure. Chemical shift calculations and electronic circular dichroism spectral calculations were quite helpful to establish the structure, when those were performed based on density functional theory. The carbon framework of cyclohelminthols I-IV is found at the C1-C8 propenylcyclopentene substructure of 1. Thus, 1 is assumed to be biosynthesized by cyclopropanation between an oxidized form of cyclohelminthol IV and a succinic anhydride derivative 4. Cytotoxicity for two cancer cell lines and proteasome inhibition efficiency are measured.

Neomacrophorin X (1) was isolated from Trichoderma sp. 1212-03. Heteronuclear multiple bond correlation (HMBC) spectral analysis indicated a unique [4.4.3]propellane framework, which was verified by the H andC chemical shift calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) and subsequent comparison with experimental data obtained in CDCl. The DFT-based electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations were effective in not only determining the absolute configuration but also confirming the relative structure. The predominant conformation of 1 was found to be solvent-dependent, with different conformations presenting different NMR and ECD profiles. Introduction of J-based analysis with a J-resolved HMBC aided in this investigation. This conformational alternation was reproduced by considering the solvation with the SM5.4 model in the calculation, although it was not sufficiently quantitative. Although the calculations without solvent effects suggested a conformer that satisfies the spectral profiles in CDCl, postcalculations with the SM5.4 solvation protocol stabilized the second major conformer, which reproduces the NMR and ECD profiles in polar solvents. Neomacrophorin X (1) is assumed to be biosynthesized by a coupling between the reduced form of anthraquinone and a neomacrophorin derivative. This hypothesis was supported experimentally by the isolation of pachybasin and chrysophanol, as well as acyclic premacrophorin (2), from the same fungus. Some biological properties of 1 are described.

Pyrrocidine A is a known antimicrobial compound produced by endophytic fungi and has a unique 13-membered macrocyclic alkaloid structure with an α,β-unsaturated carbonyl group. We have previously reported that pyrrocidine A shows potent cytotoxicity against human acute promyelocytic leukemia HL60 cells, and the activity is 70-fold higher than that of pyrrocidine B which is the analog lacking the α,β-unsaturated carbonyl group. Pyrrocidine A induced nuclear condensation, DNA fragmentation and caspase activation in HL60 cells. Since the DNA fragmentation was suppressed by pretreatment with the pan-caspase inhibitor, benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp (OMe) fluoromethylketone (z-VAD-fmk), caspase-mediated apoptosis contributes to pyrrocidine A-induced cytotoxicity. JFCR39 human cancer cells panel indicated that the mechanism of action of pyrrocidine A is different from other clinical anticancer drugs, and this compound broadly inhibited the growth of various cancer cell lines. The apoptosis induction by pyrrocidine A was suppressed by both N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) and glutathione, both of which are thiol-containing antioxidants. Furthermore, pyrrocidine A directly bound to N-acetyl-l-cysteine methyl ester (NACM) through the Michael-type addition at the α,β-unsaturated carbonyl group and was detected by HPLC and liquid chromatography-ESI-tandem MS (LC-ESI-MS/MS) analyses. This indicates that this moiety is crucial for the potent apoptosis-inducing activity of pyrrocidine A.

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