Diterpenoids from Sideritis varoi subspecies cuatrecasasii: 13C NMR of ent-13-epi-manoyl oxides functionalized at C-12

Several ent-13-epi-manoyl oxides and a new natural product, ent-8α-hydroxylabda-13(16),14-dien-19-oic acid, have been isolated from Sideritis varoi subsp. cuatrecasasii. In addition, a study has been made of some natural and semisynthetic ent-13-epi-manoyl oxides functionalized at C-12.     

Diterpene acids from Helianthus species and their microbiological conversion by Gibberella fujikuroi, mutant B1-41a

The diterpene acid content in 10 species of Helianthus has been investigated. Ent-12,16-cyclokauranoic acid, isolated from H. annuus, is converted into a series of 12,16-cyclogibberellins by cultures of Gibberella fujikuroi, mutant B1-41a, and 12,16-cyclogibberellins A₉, and A₁₂ have been isolated. Ent-12β-acetoxykaurenoic acid and ent-13(S)-angeloxyatisenoic acid have been isolated from H. decapetalus; the metabolism of ent-13(S)-hydroxyatisenoic acid and atisenoic acid by B1-41a is also described.     

松针的化学成分研究

从采自四川夹江的马尾松叶(Pinus massonianaLams.)中分离得到二个化合物,经IR1、H NMR1、3C NMR、2D-NMR、MS等现代波谱技术鉴定为ent-8,13-epoxylabd-14-en-19-oic acid(1)和槲皮素(2)。均为首次从马尾松叶中分离得到。     

The biotransformation of methyl ent-15-oxokaur-16-en-19-oate by Rhizopus stolonifer and Mucor plumbeus

Incubation of methyl ent-15-oxokaur-16-en-19-oate with Rhizopus stolonifer and Mucor plumbeus gave methyl ent-7β,11-dihydroxy-15-oxokauran-19-oate and methyl ent-7β,16β-dihydroxy-15-oxokauran-19-oate, respectively.     

PTP1B inhibitory activity of kaurane diterpenes isolated from Siegesbeckia glabrescens

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is considered as a therapeutic target for the treatment of diabetes and obesity. In our preliminary screening study, a MeOH extract of the aerial part of Siegesbeckia glabrescens was found to inhibit PTP1B activity at 30 μg/mL. Bioassay‐guided fractionation led to the isolation of two active diterpenes, ent-16βH,17-isobutyryloxy-kauran-19-oic acid (1) and ent-16βH,17-acetoxy-18-isobutyryloxy-kauran-19-oic acid (2), along with ent-16βH,17-hydroxy-kauran-19-oic acid (3). Compounds 1 and 2 inhibited the PTP1B activity with IC₅₀ values of 8.7 ± 0.9 and 30.6 ± 2.1 μM, respectively. Kinetic studies suggest that both 1 and 2 are non-competitive inhibitors of PTP1B. However, compound 3 substituted with a hydroxyl group at C-17 in kaurane-type showed no inhibitory effects towards PTP1B.     

ent-Kaurenoic acids from Mikania hirsutissima (Compositae)

Four ent-kaurenoic acid derivatives, 2beta,16alpha,17-trihydroxy-ent-kauran-19-oic acid (1), 3beta,16alpha,17-trihydroxy-ent-kauran-19-oic acid (2), 11alpha,15beta-dihydroxy-7-O-beta-d-glucopyranosyl-ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid (3) and 1alpha,15beta-dihydroxy-7-O-beta-d-glucopyranosyl-ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid (4), were isolated together with five known compounds, 1,5-dicaffeoyl-quinic acid (5), 2-O-glucosyloxy-4-methoxy-cinnamic acid (6), phenethyl alcohol glucoside (7), phenethyl-1-O-beta-d-apiofuranosyl (1-->2) beta-d-glucopyranoside (sayaendoside) (8) and 3,6-dihydroxy-beta-ion-9-ol (9) from the 50% aqueous acetone extract of the aerial parts of Mikania hirsutissima DC. (Compositae). Compounds 1-9 were tested for their proliferative activity toward peripheral blood mononuclear cells (hPBMC); compounds 1 and 2 showed significant activity (43.8% and 36.7%, at 100 microM, respectively) on the lymphocyte.     

Identification and functional analysis of bifunctional ent-kaurene synthase from the moss Physcomitrella patens

ent-Kaurene is the key intermediate in biosynthesis of gibberellins (GAs), plant hormones. In higher plants, ent-kaurene is synthesized successively by copalyl diphosphate synthase (CPS) and ent-kaurene synthase (KS) from geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGDP). On the other hand, fungal ent-kaurene synthases are bifunctional cyclases with both CPS and KS activity in a single polypeptide. The moss Physcomitrella patens is a model organism for the study of genetics and development in an early land plant. We identified ent-kaurene synthase (PpCPS/KS) from P. patens and analyzed its function. PpCPS/KS cDNA encodes a 101-kDa polypeptide, and shows high similarity with CPSs and abietadiene synthase from higher plants. PpCPS/KS is a bifunctional cyclase and, like fungal CPS/KS, directly synthesizes the ent-kaurene skeleton from GGDP. PpCPS/KS has two aspartate-rich DVDD and DDYFD motifs observed in CPS and KS, respectively. The mutational analysis of two conserved motifs in PpCPS/KS indicated that the DVDD motif is responsible for CPS activity (GGDP to CDP) and the DDYFD motif for KS activity (CDP to ent-kaurene and ent-16alpha-hydroxykaurene).     

Capture of volatile metabolites for tracking the evolution of gibberellic acid in a solid-state culture of Gibberella fujikuroi

The evolution of volatile compounds produced during solid substrate cultivation (SSC) of Gibberella fujikuroi on wheat bran was tracked looking for volatile metabolites related with GA₃ production. Ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate gave identical profiles and sharp increases that abated as the production of GA₃ began, while ent-kaurene displayed a profile matching that of the development of GA₃. ent-Kaurene is a precursor in the synthesis of gibberellins and was the most abundant compound found.     

The inhibition of gibberellin plant hormone biosynthesis by ent-6-hydroxy-5β(H)- 7-norgibberell-16-enes

ent-6α-Hydroxy-5β(H)-7-norgibberell-16-en-19-oic acid and the corresponding diol but not the ent-6β-epimers are shown to be inhibitors of gibberellin biosynthesis at the ring contraction stage and to be potential plant-growth regulators. Their metabolism by Gibberella fujikuroi has been examined.     

Gibberellin biosynthesis in bacteria: Separate ent-copalyl diphosphate and ent-kaurene synthases in Bradyrhizobium japonicum

Gibberellins are ent-kaurene-derived diterpenoid phytohormones produced by plants, fungi, and bacteria. The distinct gibberellin biosynthetic pathways in plants and fungi are known, but not that in bacteria. Plants typically use two diterpene synthases to form ent-kaurene, while fungi use only a single bifunctional diterpene synthase. We demonstrate here that Bradyrhizobium japonicum encodes separate ent-copalyl diphosphate and ent-kaurene synthases. These are found in an operon whose enzymatic composition indicates that gibberellin biosynthesis in bacteria represents a third independently assembled pathway relative to plants and fungi. Nevertheless, sequence comparisons also suggest potential homology between diterpene synthases from bacteria, plants, and fungi.