Irregularly Bridged Epipolythiodioxopiperazines and Related Analogues: Sources, Structures, and Biological Activities.

Epipolythiodioxopiperazines (ETPs) are a class of biologically active fungal secondary metabolites characterized by a bridged polysulfide piperazine ring. Regularly, the sulfide functionality is attached in the α-positions of the dioxopiperazine scaffold. However, ETPs possessing irregular sulfur bridges have rarely been explored. This review summarizes that 83 compounds of this subtype have been isolated and characterized since the discovery of gliovirin in 1982. Herein, particular emphasis is given to the isolation, chemistry, and biological activity of this subtype. For a better understanding, a relevant summary focusing on the source microorganisms and their taxonomy is provided and will help elucidate the fascinating chemistry and biology of these unusual ETPs.

A new griseofulvin derivative from a soft coral-derived fungus Eupenicillium sp. SCSIO41208.

A new griseofulvin derivative, eupenigriseofulvin (1), together with six known compounds, griseofulvin (2), dechlorogriseofluvin (3), dechloroisogriseofulvin (4), trichopyrone (5), 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-ethanol (6), and 1-phenylethane-1,2-diol (7), were isolated from the EtOAc extract of Eupenicillium sp. SCSIO41208. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including NMR and mass spectrometry. The absolute configuration of 1 was determined on the basis of electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data analysis.

Polyketides from the endolichenic fungus Eupenicillium javanicum and their anti-inflammatory activities.

Seven undescribed polyketides javanicols A-E, 5-epi-citreoviridin and 5-epi-isocitreoviridin, together with five known compounds, were isolated from the endolichenic fungus Eupenicillium javanicum. The structures of these polyketides were determined by means of extensive spectroscopic analyses, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations and gauge-independent atomic orbital (GIAO) NMR shift calculations. These compounds were evaluated for potential anti-inflammatory activity against LPS-activated RAW 264.7 cells. Javanicol E and (+)-terrein displayed moderate inhibitory effects on NO production, with IC50 values of 17.00 and 13.46 µM, respectively.

Penicilindoles A-C, Cytotoxic Indole Diterpenes from the Mangrove-Derived Fungus Eupenicillium sp. HJ002.

Three new indole diterpenes, penicilindoles A-C (1-3), were isolated from the mangrove-derived fungus Eupenicillium sp. HJ002. Their planar structures and absolute configurations were determined by interpretation of NMR spectroscopic data, HR-ESIMS, and X-ray diffraction analysis using Cu Kα radiation. The cytotoxic and antibacterial activities were evaluated in vitro; penicilindole A (1) showed cytotoxic activity against human A549 and HepG2 cell lines with IC50 values of 5.5 and 1.5 µM, respectively.

Epigenetic Modulation of Endophytic Eupenicillium sp. LG41 by a Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor for Production of Decalin-Containing Compounds.

An endophytic fungus, Eupenicillium sp. LG41, isolated from the Chinese medicinal plant Xanthium sibiricum, was subjected to epigenetic modulation using an NAD+-dependent histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, nicotinamide. Epigenetic stimulation of the endophyte led to enhanced production of two new decalin-containing compounds, eupenicinicols C and D (3 and 4), along with two biosynthetically related known compounds, eujavanicol A (1) and eupenicinicol A (2). The structures and stereochemistry of the new compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis using LC-HRMS, NMR, optical rotation, and ECD calculations, as well as single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Compounds 3 and 4 exist in chemical equilibrium with two and three cis/trans isomers, respectively, as revealed by LC-MS analysis. Compound 4 was active against Staphylococcus aureus with an MIC of 0.1 µg/mL and demonstrated marked cytotoxicity against the human acute monocytic leukemia cell line (THP-1). We have shown that the HDAC inhibitor, nicotinamide, enhanced the production of compounds 3 and 4 by endophytic Eupenicillium sp. LG41, facilitating their isolation, structure elucidation, and evaluation of their biological activities.

Structure-activity relationship study at C9 position of kaitocephalin.

Kaitocephalin (KCP) isolated from Eupenicillium shearii PF1191 is an unusual amino acid natural product in which serine, proline, and alanine moieties are liked with carbon-carbon bonds. KCP exhibits potent and selective binding affinity for one of the ionotropic glutamate receptor subtypes, NMDA receptors (Ki=7.8nM). In this study, new structure-activity relationship studies at C9 of KCP were implemented. Eleven new KCP analogs with different substituents at C9 were prepared and employed for binding affinity tests using native ionotropic glutamate receptors. Replacement of the 3,5-dichloro-4-hydroxybenzoyl group of KCP with a 3-phenylpropionyl group resulted in significant loss of binding affinity for NMDARs (Ki=1300nM), indicating an indispensable role of the aromatic ring of KCP in the potent and selective binding to NMDARs. Other analogs showed potent binding affinity in a range of 11-270nM. These findings would directly link to develop useful chemical tools toward imaging and labeling of NMDARs.

Thermotolerant hemicellulolytic and cellulolytic enzymes from Eupenicillium parvum 4-14 display high efficiency upon release of ferulic acid from wheat bran.

AIMS: To characterize the hemicellulolytic and cellulolytic enzymes from novel fungi, and evaluate the potential of novel enzyme system in releasing ferulic acid (FA) from biomass resource. METHODS AND RESULTS: A hemicellulolytic and cellulolytic enzyme-producing fungus 4-14 was isolated from soil by Congo red staining method, and identified as Eupenicillium parvum based on the morphologic and molecular phylogenetic analysis. The optimum temperature of fungal growth was 37°C. Hemicellulolytic and cellulolytic enzymes were produced by this fungus in solid-state fermentation (SSF), and their maximum activities were 554, 385, 218, 2·62 and 5·25 U g(-1) for CMCase, xylanase, ß-glucosidase, FPase and FAE respectively. These enzymes displayed the best catalytic ability at low pH values (pH 4·5-5·0). The optimum temperatures were 70°C, 70°C, 75°C and 55°C for CMCase, ß-glucosidase, xylanase and FAE respectively. CMCase, xylanase and FAE were stable at different pHs or high temperature (60°C). Enzymatic hydrolysis experiment indicated that the maximum (76·8 ± 4)% of total alkali-extractable FA was released from de-starched wheat bran by the fungal enzyme system. CONCLUSIONS: High activities of thermotolerant CMCase, ß-glucosidase, xylanase and FAE were produced by the newly isolated fungus E. parvum 4-14 in SSF. The fungal enzyme system displayed high efficiency at releasing FA from wheat bran. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study provides a new fungal strain for researches of novel hemicellulolytic and cellulolytic enzymes and will improve the bioconversion and utilization of agricultural by-products.

(7S)-Kaitocephalin as a potent NMDA receptor selective ligand.

A structure-activity relationship (SAR) study of kaitocephalin (KCP), known to be a potent naturally occurring NMDA receptor ligand, was performed. This study led us to the discovery of (7S)-kaitocephalin as a highly selective NMDA receptor ligand. It displayed a 22-fold higher degree of selectivity for the NMDA receptor over KCP, though the binding affinity of (7S)-KCP [Ki = 29 nM] was 3.7-fold less potent than that of KCP [Ki = 7.8 nM].

Total Synthesis of Epoxyeujindole A.

The total synthesis of epoxyeujindole A, a structurally unusual indole diterpenoid isolated from Eupenicillium javanicum, has been accomplished for the first time. The synthesis features a late-stage cationic cyclization strategy, which took advantage of an electron-rich olefinic substrate. The CDE ring system was assembled via an enantioselective conjugate addition/alkylation, a Luche cyclization, and a Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi reaction. The heavily substituted A ring was constructed through a Suzuki-Miyaura coupling and a cationic cyclization, and the bridged fused B ring was formed through a Prins reaction.

Electrochemical biosensor for carbofuran pesticide based on esterases from Eupenicillium shearii FREI-39 endophytic fungus.

In this work, a biosensor was constructed by physical adsorption of the isolated endophytic fungus Eupenicillium shearii FREI-39 esterase on halloysite, using graphite powder, multi-walled carbon nanotubes and mineral oil for the determination of carbofuran pesticide by inhibition of the esterase using square-wave voltammetry (SWV). Specific esterase activities were determined each 2 days over a period of 15 days of growth in four different inoculation media. The highest specific activity was found on 6th day, with 33.08 U on PDA broth. The best performance of the proposed biosensor was obtained using 0.5 U esterase activity. The carbofuran concentration response was linear in the range from 5.0 to 100.0 µg L(-1) (r=0.9986) with detection and quantification limits of 1.69 µg L(-1) and 5.13 µg L(-1), respectively. A recovery study of carbofuran in spiked water samples showed values ranging from 103.8±6.7% to 106.7±9.7%. The biosensor showed good repeatability and reproducibility and remained stable for a period of 20 weeks. The determination of carbofuran in spiked water samples using the proposed biosensor was satisfactory when compared to the chromatographic reference method. The results showed no significant difference at the 95% confidence level with t-test statistics. The application of enzymes from endophytic fungi in constructing biosensors broadens the biotechnological importance of these microorganisms.

Antibacterial secondary metabolites from an endophytic fungus, Eupenicillium sp. LG41.

Two new compounds containing the decalin moiety, eupenicinicols A and B (1 and 2), two new sirenin derivatives, eupenicisirenins A and B (3 and 4), and four known compounds, (2S)-butylitaconic acid (5), (2S)-hexylitaconic acid (6), xanthomegnin (7), and viridicatumtoxin (8), were isolated from an endophytic fungus, Eupenicillium sp. LG41, harbored in the roots of the Chinese medicinal plant Xanthium sibiricum. Their structures were confirmed through combined spectroscopic analysis (NMR and HRMS(n)), and their absolute configurations were deduced by ECD calculations or optical rotation data. Since the endophytic fungus was isolated from the roots, the antibacterial efficacies of the compounds 1-6 were investigated against Bacillus subtilis and Acinetobacter sp. BD4, which typically inhabit soil, as well as the clinically important Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. (2S)-Butylitaconic acid (5) and (2S)-hexylitaconic acid (6) exhibited pronounced efficacy against Acinetobacter sp., corroborating the notion that root-endophytes provide chemical defense to the host plants. Compound 2 was highly active against the clinically relevant S. aureus. By comparing 1 with 2, it was revealed that altering the substitution at C-11 could drastically increase the antibacterial efficacy of 1. Our study reveals plausible ecological roles of the endophyte and its potential pharmaceutical use as a source of antibacterial compounds.

[Complexes of cobalt (II, III) with derivatives of dithiocarbamic acid--effectors of peptidases of Bacillus thuringiensis and alpha-L-rhamnozidase of Eupenicillium erubescens and Cryptococcus albidus].

The influence of cobalt (II, III) coordinative compounds with derivatives of dithiocarbamic acid on Bacillus thuringiensis IMV B-7324 peptidases with elastase and fibrinolytic activity and Eupenicillium erubescens and Cryptococcus albidus alpha-L-rhamnosidases have been studied. Tested coordinative compounds of cobalt (II, III) on the basis of their composition and structure are presented by 6 groups: 1) tetrachlorocobaltates (II) of 3,6-di(R,R')-iminio-1,2,4,5-tetratiane--(RR')2Ditt[CoCl4]; 2) tetrabromocobaltates (II) of 3,6-di(R,R')-iminio-1,2,4,5-tetratiane--(RR')2Ditt[CoBr4]; 3) isothiocyanates of tetra((R,R')-dithiocarbamatoisothiocyanate)cobalt (II)--[Co(RR'Ditc)4](NCS)2]; 4) dithiocarbamates of cobalt (II)--[Co(S2CNRR')2]; 5) dithiocarbamates of cobalt (III)--[Co(S2CNRR')3]; 6) molecular complexes of dithiocarbamates of cobalt (III) with iodine--[Co(S2CNRR')3] x 2I(2). These groups (1-6) are combined by the presence of the same complexing agent (cobalt) and a fragment S2CNRR' in their molecules. Investigated complexes differ by a charge of intrinsic coordination sphere: anionic (1-2), cationic (3) and neutral (4-6). The nature of substituents at nitrogen atoms varies in each group of complexes. It is stated that the studied coordination compounds render both activating and inhibiting effect on enzyme activity, depending on composition, structure, charge of complex, coordination number of complex former and also on the enzyme and strain producer. Maximum effect is achieved by activating of peptidases B. thuringiensis IMV B-7324 with elastase and fibrinolytic activity. So, in order to improve the catalytic properties of peptidase 1, depending on the type of exhibited activity, it is possible to recommend the following compounds: for elastase--coordinately nonsaturated complexes of cobalt (II) (1-4) containing short aliphatic or alicyclic substituents at atoms of nitrogen and increasing activity by 17-100% at an average; for fibrinolytic--neutral dithiocarbamates of cobalt (II, III) (4-5) (by 29-199%). For increasing the fibrinolytic activity of peptidase it is better to use dibenzyl- or ethylphenyldithiocarbamates of cobalt (III), which increase activity by 15-40% at an average. The same complexes, and also compound {(CH2)6}2Ditt[CoCl4] make an activating impact on alpha-L-rhamnosidase C. albidus (by 10-20%).

Fungal polyketide synthase product chain-length control by partnering thiohydrolase.

Fungal highly reducing polyketide synthases (HRPKSs) are an enigmatic group of multidomain enzymes that catalyze the biosynthesis of structurally diverse compounds. This variety stems from their intrinsic programming rules, which permutate the use of tailoring domains and determine the overall number of iterative cycles. From genome sequencing and mining of the producing strain Eupenicillium brefeldianum ATCC 58665, we identified an HRPKS involved in the biosynthesis of an important protein transport-inhibitor Brefeldin A (BFA), followed by reconstitution of its activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and in vitro. Bref-PKS demonstrated an NADPH-dependent reductive tailoring specificity that led to the synthesis of four different octaketide products with varying degrees of reduction. Furthermore, contrary to what is expected from the structure of BFA, Bref-PKS is found to be a nonaketide synthase in the absence of an associated thiohydrolase Bref-TH. Such chain-length control by the partner thiohydrolase was found to be present in other HRPKS systems and highlights the importance of including tailoring enzyme activities in predicting fungal HRPKS functions and their products.

A concise [C+NC+CC] coupling-enabled synthesis of kaitocephalin.

A 15-step synthesis of the iGluR antagonist kaitocephalin from aspartic acid is reported. The linchpin pyrrolidine ring of the target molecule is efficiently assembled with in a single operation via an asymmetric [C+NC+CC] reaction.

Secondary metabolites from Eupenicillium parvum and their in vitro binding affinity for human opioid and cannabinoid receptors.

Phytochemical investigation of the soil microfungus Eupenicillum parvum led to the isolation of two new compounds: a chromone derivative euparvione (1) and a new mycophenolic derivative euparvilactone (2), as well as thirteen known compounds. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by means of extensive IR, NMR, and MS data and by comparison of data reported in the literature. The structure of the known compound 6 was confirmed by X-ray crystallography. Several isolated compounds were evaluated for in vitro binding assays using opioid receptors (subtypes δ, κ, and µ) and cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2). Compound 10 displayed the best selective µ-opioid receptor and CB1 receptor binding affinities showing values of 47% and 52% at a 10 µM concentration, respectively. These findings provide insight into the potential therapeutic utility of this class of compounds.

[Kinetic characteristics of alpha-L-rhamnosidase of Eupenicillium erubescens].

It was established, as a result of investigations of the alpha-L-rhamnosidase of Eupenicillium erubescens kinetic properties, that K(m) and V(max) for the corresponding synthetic substrate were 1.0 mM and 120 micromol/min/mg of protein, respectively. alpha-L-Rhamnosidase was also competitively inhibited by the reaction product- L-rhamnose, the inhibition constant was 5.2 x 10(-2) M. One could also observe the inhibition of alpha-L-rhamnosidase reaction in the presence of 10(-3) M of glucose. It was shown that the rate of enzymatic hydrolysis of nitrophenyl substrate was directly proportional to the concentration of enzyme, and the increase of the substrate concentration leads to the increase of hydrolysis rate. The substrate concentration being increased above the optimal one (5.0 mg/ml), the reaction rate decreases due to the formation of inactive enzyme-substrate complex FS2.

[Substrate specificity of Cryptococcus albidus and Eupenicillium erubescens alpha-L-rhamnosidases].

The substrate specificity of Cryptococcus albidus and Eupenicillium erubescens alpha-L-rhamnosidases has been investigated. It is shown that the enzymes are able to act on synthetic and natural substrates, such as naringin, neohesperidin. alpha-L-Rhamnosidases hydrolysed the latter ones very efficiently, in this case E. erubescens enzyme was characterized by higher values of V(max) in comparison with the enzyme of C. albidus. However the C. albidus alpha-L-rhamnosidase showed greater affinity for naringin and neohesperidin than the enzyme of E. erubescens (K(m) 0.77 and 3.3 mM and 5.0 and 3.0 mM, respectively). As regards the synthetic derivatives of monosaccharides, both enzymes exhibited narrow specificity for glycon: E. erubescens alpha-L-rhamnosidase--only to the p-nitrophenyl-alpha-L-rhamnopiranoside (K(m) 1.0 mM, V(max) 120 micromol/min/mg protein), and C. albidus--to p-nitrophenyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside (K(m) 10 mM, V(max) 5 micromol/min/mg protein). Thus, it was found that the enzyme preparations of E. erubescens and C. albidus are differed by their substrate specificity. The ability of E. erubescens and C. albidus alpha-L-rhamnosidases to hydrolyse natural substrates: naringin and neohesperidin, evidences for their specificity for alpha-1,2-linked L-rhamnose. Based on these data, we can predict the use of E. erubescens and C. albidus alpha-L-rhamnosidases in various industries, food industry in particular. This is also confirmed by the fact that the investigated alpha-L-rhamnosidases were stable at 20% concentration of ethanol and 500 mM glucose in the reaction mixture.

Isolation of brefeldin A from Eupenicillium brefeldianum broth using macroporous resin adsorption chromatography.

Brefeldin A (BFA) is a macrolide lactone antibiotic, possessing antitumor, antiviral, antifungal activities. In this work, a separation strategy involving one-step macroporous resin adsorption chromatography combined with crystallization was established for BFA purification from Eupenicillium brefeldianum CCTCC M 208113 fermentation broth. Among six macroporous resin adsorbents tested, the non-polar resin HZ830 had the best adsorption and desorption performance. The static equilibrium adsorption data fitted well with the Freundlich equation, and the adsorption kinetic followed the pseudo-second order model. Through experimental optimization of column adsorption and desorption, BFA in purity of 90.4% (w/w), 92.1% (w/w) yield was obtained by a one-step macroporous resin adsorption chromatography, using a stepwise elution protocol. Furthermore, high purity (>99%, w/w) of BFA crystals were prepared from E. brefeldianum CCTCC M 208113 fermentation broth in an overall recovery of 67.0% (w/w), using a combination of adsorption chromatography packed with non-polar macroporous adsorbent HZ830 and crystallization in acetone.

Molecular organization of the mating-type loci in the homothallic Ascomycete Eupenicillium crustaceum.

Eupenicillium species are the teleomorphic (sexual) forms of anamorphic (asexual) members of the genus Penicillium, which contains many species of industrial importance. Here we describe the first molecular analysis of the mating-type (MAT) locus from a homothallic (self-fertile) Eupenicillium species, E. crustaceum. This ascomycete is a sexual relative of the penicillin producer Penicillium chrysogenum, which while long considered asexual, was recently shown to possess the required genetic machinery for heterothallic breeding. The E. crustaceum genome contains two MAT loci, MAT1-1 and MAT1-2, in an arrangement characteristic of other known homothallic euascomycetes, such as Neosartorya fischeri. MAT1-1 is flanked by conserved APN2 (DNA lyase) and SLA2 (cytoskeleton assembly control) genes and encodes a homologue of the α-box domain protein MAT1-1-1. Conversely, MAT1-2 carries a HMG-domain gene MAT1-2-1, and is flanked by a degenerate SLA2 gene and an intact homologue of the P. chrysogenum ORF Pc20g08960. Here we demonstrate the transcriptional expression of both mating-type genes during vegetative development. Furthermore, the MAT1-1-1 and MAT1-2-1 sequences were used to resolve the phylogenetic relationship of E. crustaceum with other ascomycetes. Phylogenetic trees confirmed a very close relationship between the homothallic E. crustaceum and the supposedly heterothallic P. chrysogenum. This close taxonomic association makes E. crustaceum an ideal candidate for future expression and evolutionary studies of sexual reproduction, with the ultimate aim of inducing sex in P. chrysogenum.

Mycophenolic derivatives from Eupenicillium parvum.

A new compound, euparvic acid (1, C(14)H(16)O(6)), and the known compounds 5,7-dihydroxy-4-methylphthalide (2), 6-(3-carboxybutyl)-7-hydroxy-5-methoxy-4-methylphthalan-1-one (3), 6-(5-carboxy-3-methylpent-2-enyl)-7-hydroxy-5-methoxy-4-methylphthalan-1-one (4), and 6-(5-carboxy-4-hydroxy-3-methylpent-2-enyl)-7-hydroxy-5-methoxy-4-methylphthalan-1-one (5) were isolated from the EtOAc extract of Eupenicillium parvum. The structure of 1 was determined by interpretation of MS and homo- and heteronuclear 2D NMR spectroscopic data and confirmed by X-ray crystallography. The absolute configuration of 5 was determined via MPA ester derivatization.