Cysfluoretin, a new inhibitor of glutathione S-transferase, produced by Streptomyces sp. MI384-DF12

Discovery of Mycothiogranaticins from Streptomyces vietnamensis GIMV4.0001 and the Regulatory Effect of Mycothiol on the Granaticin Biosynthesis

Granaticins are benzoisochromanequinone polyketides with remarkable antibacterial and anticancer activities. Three sulfur-containing granaticin congeners, mycothiogranaticins A (1), B (2) and granaticin MA (3) were discovered from a granaticin-producing strain of Streptomyces vietnamensis GIMV4.0001. Two of them were structurally determined with mycothiol or N-acetylcysteine moieties and found to be bio-actively reluctant. Disruption of the mshA gene (SVTN_RS20640) that encodes the D-inositol-3-phosphate glycosyltransferase crucial for mycothiol biosynthesis, fully abolished the production of mycothiogranaticins. The result substantiated that the newly discovered mycothiogranaticins are consequences of the combination of the granaticin and mycothiol biosynthetic pathways. The overall granaticin production of the ΔmshA mutant strain was unexpectedly decreased by at least more than 50%, while similar production level of granaticins to that of the wild type strain was observed in an mycothiol-S transferase gene (SVTN_RS22215) disruptant Δmst. These results indicated that the mycothiol deficiency was responsible for the decreased production of granaticins. Mycothiol may positively regulate the biosynthesis of granaticin possibly by maintaining the cellular redox balance. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that mycothiol can not only be a direct building block of polyketides but also play a regulatory role in the polyketide biosynthesis.

Konamycins A and B and Rubromycins CA1 and CA2, Aromatic Polyketides from the Tunicate-Derived Streptomyces hyaluromycini MB-PO13T

Four new aromatic polyketides, konamycins A (1) and B (2) and rubromycins CA1 (3) and CA2 (4), were isolated from the culture extract of the tunicate-derived Streptomyces hyaluromycini MB-PO13^T. Compounds 1 and 2 possess a benzo[ b]fluorene aglycon modified by C-glycosylation with l-amicetose. Compounds 3 and 4 are the new congeners of rubromycin in which a naphthoquinone and carboxylated isocoumarin are joined through a spiroketal carbon. The structures of these compounds were determined by extensive analysis of 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data. Compound 1 showed radical scavenging activity in DPPH and superoxide quenching assays, and 3 and 4 displayed antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria.

NHC–gold(i) catalysed [4 + 2] cycloaddition–acyclic addition of dialkyl substituted propargylic esters with 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran: synthesis of novel benzo[c]fluorenols and substituted dienes

A new class of benzofluorenols is generated via a novel gold carbene complex [IPrAuCl/AgSbF₆] catalysed cycloaddition of propargylic esters with 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran.

Inositol-1-phosphate synthetase mRNA as a new target for antisense inhibition of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The need for novel antimicrobial agents to combat the emergence of multi-drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a worldwide urgency. This study has investigated the effects on phosphorothioate-modified antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotides (PS-ODNs) against the mRNA of inositol-1-phosphate synthase, the key enzyme in the first step in inositol synthesis. Inositol is utilized by M. tuberculosis in the production of its major thiol, which is an antioxidant that helps M. tuberculosis to get rid of reactive oxygen species and electrophilic toxins. Real-time RT-PCR analysis revealed that mRNA expression of inositol-1-phosphate (I-1-P) synthase was significantly reduced upon addition of 20 microM PS-ODNs. Treatment with antisense PS-ODNs also reduced the level of mycothiol and the proliferation of M. tuberculosis and enhanced susceptibility to antibiotics. The experiments indicated that the antisense PS-ODNs could enter the cytoplasm of M. tuberculosis and inhibit the expression of I-1-P synthase. This study demonstrates that the M. tuberculosis I-1-P synthase is a target for the development of novel antibiotics and PS-ODN to I-1-P synthase is a promising antimycobaterial candidate.

Mycothiol-deficient Mycobacterium smegmatis mutants are hypersensitive to alkylating agents, free radicals, and antibiotics

Mycothiol (MSH; 1D-myo-inosityl 2-[N-acetyl-L-cysteinyl]amido-2-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranoside) is the major low-molecular-weight thiol produced by mycobacteria. Mutants of Mycobacterium smegmatis mc(2)155 deficient in MSH production were produced by chemical mutagenesis as well as by transposon mutagenesis. One chemical mutant (mutant I64) and two transposon mutants (mutants Tn1 and Tn2) stably deficient in MSH production were isolated by screening for reduced levels of MSH content. The MSH contents of transposon mutants Tn1 and Tn2 were found to be less than 0.1% that of the parent strain, and the MSH content of I64 was found to be 1 to 5% that of the parent strain. All three strains accumulated 1D-myo-inosityl 2-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranoside to levels 20- to 25-fold the level found in the parent strain. The cysteine:1D-myo-inosityl 2-amino-2-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranoside ligase (MshC) activities of the three mutant strains were < or =2% that of the parent strain. Phenotypic analysis revealed that these MSH-deficient mutants possess increased susceptibilities to free radicals and alkylating agents and to a wide range of antibiotics including erythromycin, azithromycin, vancomycin, penicillin G, rifamycin, and rifampin. Conversely, the mutants possess at least 200-fold higher levels of resistance to isoniazid than the wild type. We mapped the mutation in the chemical mutant by sequencing the mshC gene and showed that a single amino acid substitution (L205P) is responsible for reduced MSH production and its associated phenotype. Our results demonstrate that there is a direct correlation between MSH depletion and enhanced sensitivity to toxins and antibiotics.

Novel screen methodologies for identification of new microbial metabolites with pharmacological activity

Micro-organisms continue to provide an important source of chemical diversity for the discovery of compounds with new biological activities. Microbial metabolites discovered recently using assays to detect compounds with potential pharmacological utility are surveyed and found to represent an extensive range of structural types produced by a wide variety of organisms. Assays used for screening samples produced by microbial processes must be robust, sensitive and specific and able to operate above a background of potential interferences from a number of sources. Discovery assays currently in use fall into three main categories cell-based, receptor-ligand interaction and enzyme inhibition assays. Trends in the use of these assays and new developments in assay technology applicable to the screening of microbial samples are examined with particular reference to the high throughput screening environment. For microbial screening to be a competitive route to new drug leads, the disciplines involved must be engineered into a seamlessly integrated process to deliver novel compounds with the required biological properties rapidly.