Suspension cultivation of Mycobacterium ulcerans for the production of mycolactones.

Mycolactones are polyketide toxins produced by Mycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agent of the tropical skin disease known as Buruli ulcer. Development of novel therapeutic agents from mycolactones has been hindered by the difficulty of producing sufficient amounts of material. Here, we describe the successful adaptation of M. ulcerans to suspension cultivation and the development of a fed-batch fermentation process that was scaled up to 150 l. In addition to producing mycolactones A and B, a number of new mycolactone-related compounds were also observed.

Brevitaxin, a new diterpenolignan from the bark of Taxus brevifolia.

The first terpenolignan, brevitaxin [1], has been isolated from the bark of Taxus brevifolia. Identification was carried out using spectral methods, and the regiochemistry and cytotoxicity of 1 are discussed.