Configurational assignment of cyclic peroxy metabolites provides an insight into their biosynthesis: isolation of plakortolides, seco-plakortolides, and plakortones from the Australian marine sponge Plakinastrella clathrata

The Tetrahydrofuran Motif in Polyketide Marine Drugs

Oxygen heterocycles are units that are abundant in a great number of marine natural products. Among them, marine polyketides containing tetrahydrofuran rings have attracted great attention within the scientific community due to their challenging structures and promising biological activities. An overview of the most important marine tetrahydrofuran polyketides, with a focused discussion on their isolation, structure determination, approaches to their total synthesis, and biological studies is provided.

Unified Biomimetic Approach to (+)-Hippolachnin A: In-Depth Insights into Its Biosynthetic Origin

A formal biomimetic synthesis of (+)-hippolachnin A has been achieved under the guidance of its plausible biosynthetic pathway. Pivotal transformations include an intriguing 1O2-mediated [4 + 2] cycloaddition and a tandem Kornblum-DeLaMare rearrangement/hemiketalization/dehydration reaction. The current work not only offers a unified approach to access skeletally diverse plakortin-type polyketides but also provides convincing evidence to elucidate their underlying biosynthetic network.

Elucidation of Relative and Absolute Configurations of Highly Rearranged Diterpenoids and Evidence for a Putative Biosynthetic Intermediate from the Australian Nudibranch Goniobranchus geometricus

A diterpene (1), previously isolated from a Japanese marine sponge, together with two undescribed (2, 3) diterpenes with highly rearranged carbon skeletons have been characterized from the Australian nudibranch species Goniobranchus geometricus. The structures and relative configuration were determined by spectroscopic analyses informed by detailed molecular modeling, as well as by DFT, DP4, and coupling constant predictions. A 13 R,14 R configuration was determined for secoshahamin (1) by chemical correlation with 12-desacetoxyshahamin C (4) and 12-desacetoxypolyrhaphin A (5); each metabolite (1, 4, and 5) was subjected to saponification and lactonization, yielding the same δ-lactone product (6). Secoshahamin has the same carbon skeleton as a putative precursor that may play a key role in the biosynthesis of highly rearranged diterpenoid scaffolds via C-9/C-11 cleavage of a spongian diterpene precursor.

Antimicrobial polyketide furanoterpenoids from seaweed-associated heterotrophic bacterium Bacillus subtilis MTCC 10403

Brown seaweed Anthophycus longifolius (Turner) Kützing (family Sargassaceae) associated heterotrophic bacterium Bacillus subtilis MTCC 10403 was found to be a potent isolate with broad range of antibacterial activity against important perceptive food pathogens Vibrio parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus, and Aeromonas hydrophila. This bacterium was positive for polyketide synthetase gene (KC589397), and therefore, was selected to bioprospect specialized metabolites bearing polyketide backbone. Bioactivity-guided chromatographic fractionation of the ethyl acetate extract of the seaweed-associated bacterium segregated four homologous polyketide furanoterpenoids with potential antibacterial activities against clinically important pathogens. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay showed that the referral antibiotics tetracycline and ampicillin were active at 25 μg/mL against the test pathogens, whereas the previously undescribed (4E)-methyl 13-((16-(furan-2-yl) ethyl)-octahydro-7-hydroxy-4-((E)-23-methylbut-21-enyl)-2H-chromen-6-yl)-4-methylpent-4-enoate (compound 1) and methyl 3-(hexahydro-9-((E)-3-methylpent-1-enyl)-4H-furo[3,2-g]isochromen-6-yl) propanoate (compound 3) displayed antibacterial activities against the test pathogens at a lesser concentration (MIC < 7 μg/mL). The title compounds were characterized by comprehensive nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectroscopic experiments. Polyketide synthase catalyzed putative biosynthetic mechanism additionally corroborated the structural ascriptions of the hitherto undescribed furanoterpenoids from seaweed-associated bacterial symbiont. The electronic and hydrophobic parameters appeared to hold a conspicuous part in directing the antibacterial properties of the compounds. Seaweed-associated B. subtilis MTCC 10403 demonstrated to represent a potential source of antimicrobial polyketides for pharmaceutical applications.

Chemistry and Selective Tumor Cell Growth Inhibitory Activity of Polyketides from the South China Sea Sponge Plakortis sp

Simplextone E (1), a new metabolite of polyketide origin, was isolated with eight known analogues (2–9) from the South China Sea sponge Plakortis sp. The relative configuration of the new compound was elucidated by a detailed analysis of the spectroscopic data and quantum mechanical calculation of NMR chemical shifts, aided by the newly reported DP4+ approach. Its absolute configuration was determined by the TDDFT/ECD calculation. Simplextone E (1) is proven to be one of the isomers of simplextone D. The absolute configuration at C-8 in alkyl chain of plakortone Q (2) was also assigned based on the NMR calculation. In the preliminary in vitro bioassay, compounds 6 and 7 showed a selective growth inhibitory activity against HCT-116 human colon cancer cells with IC₅₀ values of 8.3 ± 2.4 and 8.4 ± 2.3 μM, corresponding to that of the positive control, adriamycin (IC₅₀ 4.1 μM). The two compounds also showed selective activities towards MCF-7 human breast cancer and K562 human erythroleukemia cells while compound 3 only displayed weak activity against K562 cells.

Marine natural products

This review covers the literature published in 2014 for marine natural products (MNPs), with 1116 citations (753 for the period January to December 2014) referring to compounds isolated from marine microorganisms and phytoplankton, green, brown and red algae, sponges, cnidarians, bryozoans, molluscs, tunicates, echinoderms, mangroves and other intertidal plants and microorganisms. The emphasis is on new compounds (1378 in 456 papers for 2014), together with the relevant biological activities, source organisms and country of origin. Reviews, biosynthetic studies, first syntheses, and syntheses that lead to the revision of structures or stereochemistries, have been included.

Structural diversity and chemical synthesis of peroxide and peroxide-derived polyketide metabolites from marine sponges

The structural elucidation, chemical synthesis and therapeutic potential of peroxide and peroxide-derived sponge metabolites, with special focus on their intriguing structural similarities and differences from a biogenetic perspective, are reviewed.

Synthesis and Structural Reassignment of Plakinidone

In connection with its first synthesis, plakinidone was structurally revised to a five-membered lactone. The key evidence for the previous assignment of this natural product as a perlactone was proven to be a misinterpretation of the MS data because of unawareness of a facile air oxidation. The synthetic samples also allowed for detection of differences in (13)C NMR for diastereomers of remote stereogenic centers, along with the influence of the air oxidation on the optical rotation.

Amphirionin-2, a novel linear polyketide with potent cytotoxic activity from a marine dinoflagellate Amphidinium species

A novel linear polyketide, amphirionin-2 (1), with two unique hexahydrofuro[3,2-b]furan moieties has been isolated from the cultivated algal cells of a benthic dinoflagellate Amphidinium sp. (strain KCA09051). The structure was elucidated on the basis of detailed analyses of 2D NMR data, and the absolute configuration of C-5 was determined by using modified Mosher's method. Amphirionin-2 (1) exhibited potent cytotoxic activity against human colon carcinoma Caco-2 cells and human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells.

Unprecedented 1,14-seco-crotofolanes from Croton insularis: oxidative cleavage of crotofolin C by a putative homo-Baeyer-Villiger rearrangement

EBC-162 isolated from Croton insularis, obtained from the northern rainforest of Australia, was structurally affirmed as crotofolin C (4). Novel oxidative degradation products, EBC-233 and EBC-300, which are the first crotofolane endoperoxides, were also isolated. Both endoperoxides were found to be stable intermediates, which are proposed to undergo an unprecedented homo-Baeyer-Villiger biosynthetic rearrangement to give a new class of 1,14-seco-crotofolane diterpenes. Prolonged storage of all isolates assisted in authenticating their natural product status. Anticancer activities of reported compounds are presented.

Cytotoxic clerodane diterpenes from Zuelania guidonia

The leaves of Zuelania guidonia yielded eight new clerodane diterpenes, namely, zuelaguidins A-H (1-8), and the known clerodane diterpene esculentin A (9). Some of these structures contained a 3,6-dihydro-1,2-dioxin moiety. The new compounds were isolated and identified using 1D- and 2D-NMR experiments. All compounds were evaluated for cytotoxicity against the CCRF-CEM (human acute lymphocytic leukemia), CEM-ADR5000 (human acute lymphocytic leukemia resistant to doxorubicin), and MIA-PaCa-2 (human pancreatic carcinoma) cell lines as well as for their selectivity against peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy human subjects. Zuelaguidins B, C, and E were the most potent compounds against the CCRF-CEM cell line, with IC50 values ranging from 1.6 to 2.5 μM.

Peroxy natural products

This review covers the structures and biological activities of peroxy natural products from a wide variety of terrestrial fungi, higher plants, and marine organisms. Syntheses that confirm or revise structures or stereochemistries have also been included, and 406 references are cited.

Secondary metabolites of the sponge-derived fungus Acremonium persicinum

This study reports the isolation and characterization of six new acremine metabolites, 5-chloroacremine A (4), 5-chloroacremine H (5), and acremines O (6), P (7), Q (8), and R (9), together with the known acremines A (1), F (2), and N (3) from the fungus Acremonium persicinum cultured from the marine sponge Anomoianthella rubra. The relative configuration of acremine F (2) was determined by analyses of proton coupling constant values and NOESY data, and the absolute configuration confirmed as (1S, 4S, 6R) by X-ray crystallographic analysis of the borate ester derivative 15. Acremines O, P, and R were each shown to be of 8R configuration by ¹H NMR analyses of MPA esters. The relative configurations suggested for acremines P and Q were each deduced by molecular modeling together with NOESY and coupling constant data. The ³J(H-C) values in acremine P were measured using the pulse sequence EXSIDE, and the observed ³J(H8-C4) of 5.4 Hz and small ³J(H-C) values (<1.5 Hz) from H-8 to C-10 and C-11 were fully consistent with stereoisomer 7a. For acremine Q, NOESY data combined with molecular modeling established the preferred diastereomer 8a.

Cyclic Peroxides from a Two-Sponge Association of Plakortis communis-Agelas mauritiana

A cyclic peroxide 1 with an unusual phenethenyl side chain, together with the known peroxide 2 with a C4-sidechain have been isolated from a two-sponge association of Plakortis communis – Agelas mauritiana (Carter, 1883) collected near Mooloolaba, South-East Queensland, Australia. Metabolite purification was complicated by the presence of the free carboxylic acid groups in 1 and 2; therefore, diazomethane treatment was undertaken to afford methyl ester 3. Following RP-HPLC purification, the ring-opened analogues 4 and 5 were also obtained. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated on the basis of their 1D and 2D NMR and MS data, and by comparison with literature data. The relative configuration of the isolated peroxides was determined by the interpretation of JH-H values and comparison of the 13C chemical shift data with literature data for related compounds. The bromopyrrole alkaloid longamide (6) was also isolated.

Marine natural products

This review covers the literature published in 2011 for marine natural products, with 870 citations (558 for the period January to December 2011) referring to compounds isolated from marine microorganisms and phytoplankton, green, brown and red algae, sponges, cnidarians, bryozoans, molluscs, tunicates, echinoderms, mangroves and other intertidal plants and microorganisms. The emphasis is on new compounds (1152 for 2011), together with the relevant biological activities, source organisms and country of origin. Biosynthetic studies, first syntheses, and syntheses that lead to the revision of structures or stereochemistries, have been included.

Plakortolide stereochemistry revisited: the checkered history of plakortolides e and I

The relative configuration of the plakortolide metabolite (4) isolated from a Madagascan Plakortis sp. and named (+)-plakortolide I is revised following reassignment of the ¹³C signals for C-7 and C-16, thereby establishing that the metabolite isolated was likely (+)-plakortolide E (3). We propose that the name "plakortolide I" should be retained for the plakortolide metabolite 5 first isolated by the Faulkner group; its enantiomer 4 can then be named ent-plakortolide I in line with the description of Barnych and Vatèle. The spectroscopic data for MPA esters prepared from synthetic samples of seco derivatives of plakortolide E (3) and ent-plakortolide I (4) were compared with those of MPA esters of seco derivatives from naturally isolated plakortolides L (1) and K (2) and of seco-plakortolide E (6a). Likewise, the spectroscopic data for MTPA esters derived from 3 and 4 were compared with data for the MTPA esters derived from 5. These various comparisons established that the sign of the specific rotation associated with the natural isolates is an unreliable indicator of absolute configuration and verify that the absolute configurations of plakortolides L (1), K (2), E (3), and I (5) are (3S, 4S, 6S), (3R, 4R, 6S), (3R, 4R, 6R), and (3S, 4S, 6R), respectively.

Plakilactones from the marine sponge Plakinastrella mamillaris. Discovery of a new class of marine ligands of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ

In this paper we report the isolation and the molecular characterization of a new class of PPARγ ligands from the marine environment. Biochemical characterization of a library of 13 oxygenated polyketides isolated from the marine sponge Plakinastrella mamillaris allowed the discovery of gracilioether B and plakilactone C as selective PPARγ ligands in transactivation assays. Both agents covalently bind to the PPARγ ligand binding domain through a Michael addition reaction involving a protein cysteine residue and the α,β-unsaturated ketone in their side chains. Additionally, gracilioether C is a noncovalent agonist for PPARγ, and methyl esters 1 and 2 are noncovalent antagonists. Structural requirements for the interaction of these agents within the PPARγ ligand binding domain were obtained by docking analysis. Gracilioether B and plakilactone C regulate the expression of PPARγ-dependent genes in the liver and inhibit the generation of inflammatory mediators by macrophages.

Simplexolides A-E and plakorfuran A, six butyrate derived polyketides from the marine sponge Plakortis simplex

Six new polyketides, simplexolides A-E (1-5) and a furan ester, plakorfuran A (6), together with four known furanylidenic methyl esters (7-10) were isolated from the marine sponge Plakortis simplex. Compounds 1-5 feature a tetrahydrofuran ring opened seco-plakortone skeleton. These new structures, including relative configurations, were determined on the basis of extensive analysis of spectroscopic data. The absolute configurations of 1-6 were established by the modified Mosher's method, and the CD exciton chirality method. However, configurations of the remote stereocenters at C-8 in compounds 1-5 were not determined. Antifungal, cytotoxicity, antileismanial, and antimalarial activities of these poly-ketides were evaluated.

Oxidative processes in the Australian marine sponge Plakinastrella clathrata: isolation of plakortolides with oxidatively modified side chains

Sixteen new cyclic peroxides (1-16) with a plakortolide skeleton and the methyl ester derivative of a didehydroplakinic acid (17) were isolated from the Australian sponge Plakinastrella clathrata Kirkpatrick, 1900. Structural elucidation and configurational assignments were based on spectroscopic analysis and comparison with data for previously isolated plakortolides and revealed both phenyl- and methyl-terminating side chains attached to the plakortolide core. Plakortoperoxides A-D (5-8) each contained a second 1,2-dioxine ring; a cis configuration for the side chain endoperoxide ring was determined by a low-temperature NMR study and by comparison of chemical shift values with those of reported compounds. An enantioselective HPLC study compared natural plakortoperoxide A with a synthetic sample prepared by cyclization of plakortolide P with singlet oxygen and revealed that the natural sample was a mixture of cis diastereomers at C-15/C18. Four other cyclic peroxides (9-12) possessed a C(9)-truncated side chain terminating in a formyl or carboxylic acid functionality, suggesting that these metabolites may have been formed by oxidative cleavage of the Δ(9,10) bond of diene-functionalized plakortolides. A final group of four metabolites (13-16) with hydroxy or the rare hydroperoxy functionality unexpectedly revealed a C(8) side chain, while the ester (17) represents further structural variation within the growing family of cyclic peroxy sponge metabolites.

Sponge chemical diversity: from biosynthetic pathways to ecological roles

Since more than 50 years, sponges have raised the interest of natural product chemists due to the presence of structurally original secondary metabolites. While the main objective were first to discover new drugs from the Sea, a large number of interrogations arose along with the isolation and structure elucidations of a wide array of original architectures and new families of natural products not found in the terrestrial environment. In this chapter, we focus on the results obtained during this period on the following questions. A preliminary but still unresolved issue to be addressed will be linked to the role of the microbiota into the biosynthesis of these low-weight compounds. Our knowledge on the biosynthetic pathways leading to plant secondary metabolites is now well established, and this background will influence our comprehension of the biosynthetic events occurring in a sponge. But is the level of similarity between both metabolisms so important? We clearly need more experimental data to better assess this issue. This question is of fundamental interest because sponges have a long evolutionary history, and this will allow a better understanding on the transfer of the genetic information corresponding to the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. After the how, the why! The question of the ecological role of these metabolites is also of high importance first not only because they can serve as synapomorphic characters but also because they may represent chemical cues in the water environment. Even if most of these compounds are considered as defensive weapons for these sessile invertebrates, they may also be linked to physiological characters as the reproduction. Finally, a metabolomic approach can appear as a complementary tool to give additional information on the sponge fitness. All the new developments in molecular biology and bioanalytical tools will open the way for a better comprehension on the complex field of sponge secondary metabolites.