Screening and identification of insertion mutants from Bipolaris eleusines by mutagenesis based on restriction enzyme-mediated integration

Ophiobolin A is sesterterpenoid-type phytotoxin and may be an important candidate for development of new crop protection and pharmaceutical products. The restriction enzyme-mediated integration (REMI) method was used to introduce the plasmid pSH75 into the ophiobolin A-producing filamentous fungus Bipolaris eleusines. A total of 323 stable transformants were obtained, all of which were capable of growing on potato-dextrose agar medium containing 200?μg?mL(-1) hygromycin B. The transformation frequency was about 4-5 transformants?μg(-1) plasmid DNA. An ophibolin A-deficient transformant (B014) was assessed and the presence of the hph gene in this transformant was confirmed by PCR. The cell-free cultural filtrates of this transformant showed significantly less inhibition on mycelial growth of the fungal pathogen Rhizoctoni solani but little effect on barnyard grass as opposed to that of the wild-type B.?eleusines. There was no detectable amount of ophiobolin A in B014 samples measured with HPLC. This research suggests REMI as a potential approach for improving the production of ophiobolin A by B.?eleusines via genetic engineering to upregulate certain genes responsible for desired biosynthetic pathways.     

Evaluation of in vitro alpha-glucosidase inhibitory,antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities of secondary metabolites from the endophytic fungus,Nigrospora sphaerica,isolated from Helianthus annuus

This study aimed to evaluate alpha-glucosidase inhibition and antimicrobial activity as well as cytotoxic activity of extracts from the endophytic fungus, Nigrospora sp., isolated from leaves of Helianthus annuus, which is widely cultivated for food and used as a medicinal plant. The fungus (TSU-CS003) was identified based on internal transcribed spacer ribosomal DNA sequences and fungal biomass, and fermentation broth was subjected to extraction by solvents (hexane and ethyl acetate). All extracts were tested for their antimicrobial activity, alpha-glucosidase inhibition, and cytotoxicity activity. In addition, the active extract was analyzed by using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) TSU-CS003 was identified as Nigrospora sphaerica. The fermentation broth extract (BE) showed strong antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (Gram-positive bacteria) with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values in the range of 16–32 μg/mL and a few yeasts with MIC values ranging from 64 to 128 μg/mL, especially Talaromyces marneffei with an MIC value of 4 μg/mL. The effects of BE were observed by SEM. The results showed that this extract affected the cell morphology of T. marneffei. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of BE from alpha-glucosidase inhibition was recorded as 17.25 μg/mL and also showed significant cytotoxicity against A549 human cancer cell lines with an IC50 value of 22.41 μg/mL. Furthermore, BE was analyzed by using GC-MS and divided into three main compounds, including 5-pentyldihydrofuran-2(3H)-one, (Z)-methyl 4-(isobutyryloxy)but-3-enoate, and 2-phenylacetic acid. This was the first report of the endophytic fungus N. sphaerica from H. annuus. It is a potential source of active metabolites, which gave the strong antifungal activity, antioxidant activity, and cytotoxicity to A549 cancer cell lines.     

Pimarane diterpenes from the fungus Epicoccum sp. HS-1 associated with Apostichopus japonicus

Three new pimarane diterpenes (1, 2 and 3) as well as a known compound 4, were isolated from the marine-derived fungus HS-1 from Apostichopus japonicus. Their structures and relative stereochemistry of 1-3 were elucidated using a combination of NMR spectroscopy and CD. In the primary bioassay, compounds 1, 2 and 4 inhibited the growth of KB and KBv200 with IC(50) of 3.51, 2.34 μg/mL, 20.74, 14.47 μg/mL, and 3.86, 6.52 μg/mL, respectively.     

3-Anhydro-6-hydroxy-ophiobolin A,a new sesterterpene inhibiting the growth of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and inducing the cell death by apoptosis on K562, from the phytopathogenic fungus Bipolaris oryzae

A new ophiobolin derivative, 3-anhydro-6-hydroxy-ophiobolin A (1), as well as two known ophiobolin derivatives 3-anhydro-ophiobolin A (2) and 3-anhydro-6-epi-ophiobolin A (3) were isolated from the PDB culture of a phytopathogenic fungus Bipolaris oryzae. The structure of 1 was elucidated through 2D NMR and other spectroscopic techniques. Compound 1 exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against Bacille Calmette–Guerin, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus with MIC value of 12.5 μg/mL, and potent antiproliferative activity against cell lines HepG2 and K562 with IC₅₀ of 6.49 μM and 4.06 μM, respectively. Further studies on the cytotoxicity of compound 1 against K562 cells demonstrated that it induced apoptosis, observed by flow cytometric method. Preliminary structure–activity relationships of these ophiobolins and the mechanism of apoptosis induced by 1 were analyzed.     

Phytotoxic and antifungal metabolites from Curvularia sp. FH01 isolated from the gut of Atractomorpha sinensis

Two main phytotoxic and antifungal phthalic acid butyl isobutyl ester (1) and radicinin (2) were isolated from the culture of Curvularia sp. FH01, a fungus residing in the Atractomorpha sinensis gut. The structures of isolated metabolites were established on the basis of spectral analysis. Metabolites 1 and 2 exhibited significant phytotoxic activity against the radical growth of Echinochloa crusgalli with their IC(50) values of 61.9 and 5.9 μg/mL, respectively, which were comparable to that 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2.0 μg/mL) used as a positive control. The antifungal test results showed that compound 2 possessed strong antifungal activity against Magnaporthe grisea (IC(50)=16.3 μg/mL) and Valsa mali (IC(50)=18.2 μg/mL). The findings of the present study suggest that bioactive properties of the fungus FH01 can be attributed to its major components, phthalic acid butyl isobutyl ester and radicinin, and both agents have a potential to be used as herbicide and fungicide.     

内生芬芳镰刀菌Dzf2中两个抗菌活性成分(英文)

采用活性追踪的方法从盾叶薯蓣内生芬芳镰刀菌Dzf2中分离到两个抗菌活性成分,通过物理化学性质和波谱学特征鉴定为镰刀菌酸(1)和9,10-脱氢镰刀菌酸(2)。采用多孔板-MTT-比色法和孢子萌发法测定了化合物的抗菌活性。镰刀菌酸和9,10-脱氢镰刀菌酸对供试细菌的半抑制浓度(IC50)值为35.35μg/mL至171.29μg/mL;对稻瘟菌孢子萌发的IC50值分别为28.83μg/mL和27.06μg/mL。     

Synthesis and anticancer activity of 5'-chloromethylphosphonates of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT)

A series of novel N-alkyl 5'-chloromethylphosphonates of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (6-15) was synthesized by means of phosphonylation of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (4) with P-chloromethylphosphonic ditriazolide (3) followed by a reaction with the appropriate amine. The synthesized phosphonamidates 6-15 were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity in two human cancer cell lines: oral (KB) and breast (MCF-7) using the sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay. The highest activity in KB human cancer cells was displayed by phosphonamidate 8 (IC(50)=5.8 μg/mL), however, this compound was less potent than the parent AZT (IC(50)=3.1 μg/mL). Phosphonamidate 10 showed only moderate activity (IC(50)=12.1 μg/mL) whereas the other phosphonamidates proved inactive. Similarly, the highest activity in MCF-7 human cancer cells was displayed by phosphonamidate 8 (IC(50)=3.7 μg/mL) but it proved somewhat less active than AZT (IC(50)=2.6 μg/mL). Some activity was also displayed by phosphonamidate 10 (IC(50)=12.8 μg/mL) but the other phosphonamidates were found inactive. Hydrolysis studies indicate that the synthesized phosphonamidates are likely to act as prodrugs of the parent nucleoside (AZT). Transport measurements showed that the most active phosphonamidates (8 and 10) were able to permeate across the intestinal epithelium in vitro. The apparent permeability coefficients determined in Caco-2 cell monolayers indicated that these compounds could be moderately absorbed in humans.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">In vitro</Emphasis> leishmanicidal,antibacterial and antitumour potential of anhydrocochlioquinone A obtained from the fungus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cochliobolus</Emphasis> sp.

The bioassay-guided fractionation of the ethyl acetate extract of the fungus Cochliobolus sp. highlighted leishmanicidal activity and allowed for anhydrocochlioquinone A (ANDC-A) isolation. MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectra of this compound were in agreement with those published in the literature. ANDC-A exhibited leishmanicidal activity with EC₅₀ value of 22.4 µg/mL (44 μM) and, when submitted to the microdilution assay against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, showed a minimal inhibitory concentration against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25295 of 128 μg/mL (248.7 μM). It was also active against five human cancer cell lines, showing IC₅₀ values from 5.4 to 20.3 μM. ANDC-A demonstrated a differential selectivity for HL-60 (SI 5.5) and THP-1 (SI 4.3) cell lines in comparison with Vero cells and was more selective than cisplatin and doxorubicin against MCF-7 cell line in comparison with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. ANDC-A was able to eradicate clonogenic tumour cells at concentrations of 20 and 50 μM and induced apoptosis in all tumour cell lines at 20 μM. These results suggest that ANDC-A might be used as a biochemical tool in the study of tumour cells biochemistry as well as an anticancer agent with durable effects on tumours.     

Aureonitols A and B,Two New C13‐Polyketides from Chaetomium globosum,an Endophytic Fungus in Salvia miltiorrhiza

Two new C₁₃‐polyketides, aureonitols A and B ( 1 and 2 ), along with five known compounds ( 3 – 7 ), were isolated from the solid fermentation culture of the plant endophytic fungus Chaetomium globosum from the aerial parts of Salvia miltiorrhiza. The structures and absolute configurations of 1 and 2 were determined by comprehensive spectroscopic data analysis and computed methods. Compound 5 was found to display the remarkable antimicrobial activities against four multidrug‐resistant bacteria (Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis) with MIC values of 3.13–6.25 μg/mL (ciprofloxacin: 0.78–1.56 μg/mL), and also against all tested fungal strains with MIC values of 3.13–25 μg/mL (ketoconazole: 0.78–12.50 μg/mL).     

印楝素A与印楝素B对粉纹夜蛾BTI-Tn-5B1-4的细胞毒性

为了明确印楝素A和B活性差异的机理,本研究比较了印楝素A和印楝素B对粉纹夜蛾Trichoplusia ni离体培养胚胎细胞系BTI-Tn-5B1-4的毒性。结果表明：印楝素A与印楝素B对BTI-Tn-5B1-4细胞具有良好的增殖抑制活性,处理后3 d,其IC₅₀值分别为2.9 μg/mL和9.85 μg/mL,印楝素A的细胞毒力显著高于印楝素B。倒置显微镜观察发现,印楝素A和印楝素B处理可导致细胞变形,贴壁能力下降,并出现明显空泡,印楝素A的影响明显高于印楝素B。流式细胞仪检测结果表明,印楝素可导致BTI-Tn-5B1-4细胞体积显著膨大,印楝素A处理细胞体积增大程度显著高于印楝素B;印楝素可以明显影响BTI-Tn-5B1-4细胞膜电位,1.25 μg/mL印楝素A和印楝素B处理后3 d,细胞DiBAC4（3）荧光强度分别增加88.12%和55.37%,印楝素A的影响显著高于印楝素B。荧光显微镜观察发现,印楝素对BTI-Tn-5B1-4细胞核具有明显影响,印楝素B的影响明显高于印楝素A,印楝素B处理后,细胞核受损细胞数更多,受损程度更严重。结果显示印楝素A和印楝素B的细胞作用机理存在差异,本研究从细胞学水平解释了印楝素的生长发育抑制作用机理。     

Aegyptolidines A and B: New pyrrolidine alkaloids from the fungus Aspergillus aegyptiacus

Chemical examination of the fungus Aspergillus aegyptiacus isolated from cotton textile yielded two new pyrrolidine alkaloids: aegyptolidine A (3) and aegyptolidine B (4), together with two known ophiobolin sesterterpenoids: (±)-5-deoxovariecolin (1) and variculanol (2). Compound 1 is reported for the first time from a natural source. The structures of the isolated compounds were unambiguously elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic data analysis (1D (¹H and ¹³C) and 2D (¹H–¹H COSY, HMQC, HMBC, and NOESY) NMR, MS, IR, and UV) and comparison with literature data. Compounds 1 and 2 showed moderate cytotoxic activity against murine lymphoma cancer cell line L5178Y with ED₅₀ 7.6 and 8.1 μg/mL, respectively.     

Highly sensitive electrochemical detection of potential cytotoxicity of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots using neural cell chip

Cell chip was recently developed as a simple and highly sensitive tool for the toxicity assessment of various kinds of chemicals or nano-materials. Here, we report newly discovered potential cytotoxic effects of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) on intracellular redox environment of neural cancer cells at very low concentrations which can be only detected by cell chip technology. Green (2.1 nm in diameter) and red (6.3 nm in diameter) QDs capped with cysteamine (CA) or thioglycolic acid (TA) were found to be toxic at 100 μg/mL when assessed by trypan blue and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). However, in case of concentration-dependent cytotoxicity, toxic effects of TA-capped QDs on human neural cells were only measured by DPV method when conventional MTT assay did not show toxicity of TA-capped QDs at low concentrations (1-10 μg/mL). Red-TA QDs and Green-TA QDs were found to decrease electrochemical signals from cells at 10 μg/mL and 5 μg/mL, respectively, while cell viability decreased at 100 μg/mL and 50 μg/mL when assessed by MTT assay, respectively. The relative decreases of cell viability determined by MTT assay were 15% and 11.9% when cells were treated with 5-50 μg/mL of Red-TA QDs and 5-30 μg/mL of Green-TA QDs, respectively. However, DPV signals decreased 37.5% and 39.2% at the same concentration range, respectively. This means that redox environment of cells is more sensitive than other components and can be easily affected by CdSe/ZnS QDs even at low concentrations. Thus, our proposed neural cell chip can be applied to detect potential cytotoxicity of various kinds of molecular imaging agents simply and accurately.     

Dryoptkirbioside,A New Fructofuranoside Glycerol,and Other Constituents from Dryopteris kirbi Hook et Grav Rhizomes

A new fructofuranoside glycerol, dryoptkirbioside ( 1 ), along with thirteen known compounds ( 2 - 14 ), was isolated from the MeOH extract of Dryopteris kirbi rhizomes by silica gel column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, and semipreparative HPLC. The structure of the new compound was determined by analyses of its spectroscopic data including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and high-resolution electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS) and chemical conversions. The hexane-soluble portion and the EAF_A fraction showed strong activities against lung (A549), breast (MCF-7), and cervical (HeLa) human cancer cell lines (IC₅₀ values ranging from 4.0 to 8.8 μg/mL). Aspidinol P ( 5 ) and aspidinol B ( 6 ) exhibited moderate to low cytotoxicity on the three cell lines (IC₅₀ values ranging from 20.4 to 58.7 μM). The MeOH extract and hexane-soluble portion had excellent activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis (MICs 11.7 and 23.4 μg/mL), whereas the AcOEt- and BuOH-soluble portions were significantly active on S. aureus (MICs 46.9 and 93.8 μg/mL). The main fractions EAF_B, EAF_C and nBF_B displayed excellent activity against S. aureus (MICs 11.7 and 23.4 μg/mL). Aspidinol B ( 6 ) had significant activity, while aspidinol P ( 5 ) was moderately active against S. aureus and B. subtilis (MICs 42.0 and 89.5 μM).     

Ixorapeptide I and ixorapeptide II, bioactive peptides isolated from Ixora coccinea

Two novel derivatized peptides, designated as ixorapeptide I (1) and ixorapeptide II (2), in addition to 28 other known compounds, were isolated from the MeOH extract of Ixora coccinea using bioassay-guided fractionation. The structures of metabolites 1 and 2 were determined by interpretation of the spectroscopic data and Marfey's method. Compound 1 exhibited selective potency against Hep3B liver cancer cell line with an IC(50) value of 3.36 μg/mL, and compound 2 did not show notable cytotoxicity toward cancer cell lines but could inhibit superoxide anion generation and elastase release with IC(50) values of 0.21 and 0.27 μg/mL, respectively. Moreover, kaempferol and luteolin from this plant showed inhibition with IC(50) values of 3.55 and 2.56 μg/mL, respectively on platelet aggregation induced by collagen.     

Inhibitory properties of 2-substituent-1H-benzimidazole-4-carboxamide derivatives against enteroviruses

A series of novel benzimidazole derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their activities against four kinds of enteroviruses, that is, Coxsackie virus A16, B3, B6 and Enterovirus 71 in VERO cells. Strong activities against enterovirus replication and low cytotoxicities were observed in these benzimidazoles generally. The most promising compound was (l)-2-(pyridin-2-yl)-N-(2-(4-nitrophenyl)pentan-3-yl)-1H-benzimidazole-4-carboxamide (16), with a high antiviral potency (IC(50)=1.76 μg/mL) and a remarkable selectivity index (328). These compounds were selected for further evaluation as novel enterovirus inhibitors.     

N-nitrosodiethylamine genotoxicity evaluation: a cytochrome P450 induction study in rat hepatocytes

In rats, N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) induces tumors mainly in the liver. This could be because various enzymes are responsible for the metabolic activation of NDEA, besides the hepatic NDEA metabolizing enzyme, CYP2E1. We examined NDEA genotoxicity and cytotoxicity in primary cultures of female rat hepatocytes; we also looked at how it affected CYP mRNA expression. Single incubation with 0.9% NaCl resulted in a mean of 0.2% apoptotic cells, which doubled with 105 μg NDEA/mL. The frequency of necrosis with NDEA treatment was also doubled. Besides the cytotoxic effects, there was also a 4-fold decrease in mitotic index and a 3-fold decrease in the percentage of cells with micronuclei. A significant increase in micronucleus cells when hepatocytes were incubated with 2.1 μg NDEA/mL suggests that DNA repair was inactive. The chromosomal aberration evaluation revealed a discrete dose-response curve. Treatment with NDEA induced increases in CYP mRNA: CYP2B2 (1.8 times) and CYP2E1 (1.6 times) with non-cytotoxic NDEA concentrations (0.21-21 μg/mL). CYP2B1 mRNA levels decreased at 0.21 μg NDEA/mL (2.5-fold), while CYP4A3 mRNA decreased 1.3-fold. NDEA treatment at 2.1 μg/ mL induced a 1.9-fold increase in CYP3A1 mRNA. Understanding the cumulative effects in target cells during precarcinogenesis is crucial to understanding the mode of action of potential carcinogens and in order to develop comprehensive chemical toxicity profiles.     

1株Alternaria sp.真菌菌丝提取物对玉米种子发芽促进作用的研究

从健康的野生山枣根部分离得到1株真菌,经分子鉴定其为支链孢属Alternaria sp.并且对其进行液体培养到生长期后,菌丝体用4层纱布滤出,40℃烘干,研磨后用乙醇浸提3次,合并滤液,并测定其菌丝醇提取物的浓度,配成1、10、100μg/mL的浓度,进行玉米种子催芽试验。结果表明,浓度为1、10μg/mL的醇提取物,均可提高玉米种子的发芽指数,而浓度为100μg/mL的醇提取物则会降低玉米种子发芽指数。     

阿勒泰黄芪提取物对蛋白酪氨酸磷酸酯酶1B的抑制作用

本文探讨了阿勒泰黄芪不同提取物对蛋白酪氨酸磷酸酯酶1B(PTP1B)的抑制作用.采用分光光度法测定了提取物中的黄酮和皂苷含量;通过体外酶促动力学方法检测了不同提取物对PTP1B的影响,并确定了抑制类型;并采用氧化酶法检测了阿勒泰黄芪提取物对细胞利用葡萄糖能力的作用.结果表明,阿勒泰黄芪8种提取物(E1 ～8)中黄酮含量分别为5.09、10.46、3.58、3.23、53.91、21.77、5.76和7.49 mg/mL,其中E1、E2、E6、E7、E8皂苷含量分别为16.53、27.45、21.90、10.21和8.96 mg/mL;各提取物对PTP1B活性均表现出抑制作用,其中E1、E2、E7、E8的IC50分别为34.8、4.7、7.35和7.15 μg/mL,E1、E7和E8是竞争性抑制,E2是混合型竞争性抑制.E1、E2、E5、E7和E8较明显的提高了CHO-K1细胞对葡萄糖的利用.提示皂苷可能是阿勒泰黄芪抑制PTP1B活性的主要物质,通过PTP1B途径有效了提高细胞利用葡萄糖的能力.本研究为阿勒泰黄芪开发为防治糖尿病及改善胰岛素抵抗的药物或保健品提供实验依据.     

Synthesis, biological evaluation and molecular docking studies of resveratrol derivatives possessing curcumin moiety as potent antitubulin agents

A series of resveratrol derivatives possessing curcumin moiety were synthesized and evaluated for their antiproliferative activity against three cancer cell lines including murine melanoma B16-F10, human hepatoma HepG2 and human lung carcinoma A549. Among them, compound C5 displayed the most potent in vitro antiproliferative activity against B16-F10 with IC(50) value of 0.71 μg/mL. Compound C5 also exhibited good tubulin polymerization inhibitory activity with IC(50) value of 1.45 μg/mL. Furthermore, docking simulation was carried out to position C5 into the tubulin-colchicine binding site to determine the probable binding mode.     

Ophiobolin E and 8-epi-ophiobolin J produced by Drechslera gigantea, a potential mycoherbicide of weedy grasses

Drechslera gigantea, a fungal pathogen isolated from large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis) and proposed as a potential mycoherbicide of grass weeds, produces phytotoxic metabolites in liquid and solid cultures. Ophiobolin A and three minor ophiobolins i.e., 6-epi-ophiobolin A, 3-anhydro-6-epi-ophiobolin A and ophiobolin I were obtained from the liquid culture broths. Interestingly and unexpectedly, ophiobolins also appeared in cultures of this fungus and they were isolated together with the known ophiobolins B and J, and designed as ophiobolin E and 8-epi-ophiobolin J. They were characterized using essentially spectroscopic methods. It is noteworthy that D. gigantea produces such a plethora of bioactive organic substances. Some structure-activity relationship results are also discussed in this report.