A new latrunculin, oxalatrunculin B (3), was isolated from Red Sea sponge Negombata corticata. Extensive spectroscopic analysis revealed an unprecedented heterocycle in which the rare thiazolidinone ring found in latrunculins was oxidized with three additional oxygens. An actin polymerization inhibition assay agreed with MM-PBSA free energy calculations that 3 binds more weakly than latrunculin B to actin. Significant antifungal and anticancer activity of 3 was found, suggesting an alternate target in addition to actin for latrunculin bioactivity.Latrunculins A (1) and B (2) (Fig. 1) were first isolated from Negombata magnifica (Keller) (formerly Latrunculia magnifica), discovered from the Red Sea. 1 Among the characteristic features of these natural products is the presence of a macrocyclic lactone ring of 14 or 16 carbon atoms and a 2-thiazolidinone moiety (Figure 1). 2,3 In vitro experiments revealed that the latrunculins disrupt actin polymerization, 4 a possible target for cancer. 5A recent study has also reported antimigratory and antiangiogenic activity of latrunculins, adding to their possible utility in the control of cancer. 6 In addition to significant ichthyotoxic and cytotoxic properties, the latrunculins are also antiviral against herpes simplex type 1 virus (HSV-1). 7Several new latrunculins including natural, synthetic or semisynthetic analogs have been reported recently. 6,8 We report here the structure assignment and bioactivity of a unique new jkhalifa_99@yahoo.com, rjd@olemiss.edu, mthamann@olemiss.edu. As further evidence for this, combustion analysis on 3 showed 53.6% carbon, 6.51% hydrogen, 3.16% nitrogen, 28.6% oxygen and 6.34% sulfur. 13 C NMR indicated that the carbon skeleton of 3 consisted of 2 methyl carbons, 7 methylenes, 7 methines and 4 quaternary carbon atoms, which is identical to the carbon multiplicities of 2. The 13 C NMR chemical shifts for the 14-membered and tetrahydropyran rings were in close agreement with those of 2 revealing that additional oxygenation must occur at the heteroatoms. Significant differences were found in the chemical shifts of the thiazolidinone ring. The C-17 resonance shifted downfield from δ28.5 to δ49.9 indicating the introduction of a neighboring oxygen atom. C-16 shifted slightly upfield so the only possible position for oxidation was at the sulfur atom. C-18 also moved upfield from δ175.3 to δ157.3. The chemical shift of the carbonyl carbon of a 5-membered lactam ring will move upfield around 15ppm when the lactam nitrogen is hydroxylated. 9,10 It has also been shown that oxygenation of the sulfur atom adjacent to the carbonyl of a 5-membered thiazolidinone will move chemical shifts upfield by ~10 ppm. 11 This suggested that two of the three new oxygen atoms are at the S and the last is assigned as the hydroxyl group at N. Further evidence for this was the disappearance of the H-N at δ6.1. In addition the amide IR resonance in 2 is absent in 3 and a new resonance at 1756 cm −1 appeared, indicating the presence of a CONOH system. 11 The OH...