Six new spongian diterpene derivatives, ceylonins A–F (1–6), were isolated from the Indonesian marine sponge Spongia ceylonensis along with spongia-13(16),14-dien-19-oic acid (7). They contained three additional carbons in ring D to supply an ether-bridged bicyclic ring system. Their structures were elucidated by analyzing NMR spectroscopic data and calculated ECD spectra in comparison to experimental ECD spectra. The bicyclic ring system may be derived from the major metabolite 7 and a C3 unit (an acrylic acid equivalent) through an intermolecular Diels–Alder reaction, which was experimentally supported by the formation of 1–6 from 7 and acrylic acid. The inhibitory effects of the isolated compounds on the RANKL-induced formation of multinuclear osteoclasts in RAW264 macrophages were examined.

•A new prenylated alkaloid, amoenamide A, was isolated from Aspergillus amoenus.•Previously, amoenamide A was postulated to be a precursor of notoamide E4.•We previously isolated two pairs of antipodes from A. amoenus and A. protuberus.•We here isolated five new antipodes from A. amoenus.A new prenylated alkaloid, Amoenamide A (6), was isolated from the fungus Aspergillus amoenus NRRL 35600. Previously, 6 was postulated to be a precursor of Notoamide E4 (21) converted from Notoamide E (16), which was a key precursor of the prenylated indole alkaloids in the fungi of the genus Aspergillus. We previously succeeded in the isolation of two pairs of antipodes, Stephacidin A (1) and Notoamide B (2), from A. amoenus and A. protuberus MF297-2 and expected the presence of other antipodes in the culture of A. amoenus. We here report five new antipodes (7–11) along with a new metabolite (12), which was isolated as a natural compound for the first time, from A. amoenus.Download high-res image (152KB)Download full-size image

The marine-derived Aspergillus protuberus MF297-2 and the terrestrial A. amoenus NRRL 35600 produce enantiomeric prenylated indole alkaloids. Investigation of biological activities of the natural and synthetic derivatives revealed that (−)-enantiomers of notoamides A and B, 6-epi-notoamide T, and stephacidin A inhibited receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) ligand (RANKL)–induced osteoclastogenic differentiation of murine RAW264 cells more strongly than their respective (+)-enantiomers. Among them, (−)-6-epi-notoamide T was the most potent inhibitor with an IC50 value of 1.7 μM.Download high-res image (254KB)Download full-size image

Three new spongian diterpenes, ceylonins G–I (1–3), were isolated from the marine sponge Spongia ceylonensis collected in Indonesia, together with five known spongian diterpenes (4–8). Only 4 inhibited USP7 with an IC50 value of 8.2 μM.

Seven new spongian diterpenes, ceylonamides A–F (1–6) and 15α,16-dimethoxyspongi-13-en-19-oic acid (7), were isolated from the Indonesian marine sponge Spongia ceylonensis along with eight known spongian diterpenes, 8–15. Compounds 1–6 were determined to be nitrogenous spongian diterpenes. The isolated compounds were examined for the inhibition of RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis in RAW264 macrophages. Ceylonamide A (1) exhibited the most potent inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 13 μM, followed by ceylonamide B (2) (IC50, 18 μM). An examination of the structure–activity relationships of the isolated compounds revealed that the position of the carbonyl group of the γ-lactam ring and bulkiness of the substituent at its nitrogen atom were important for inhibitory activity.

We isolated 16 new xestoquinone derivatives, including two trimers, six dimers, and four monomers with containing thiomorpholine 1,1-dioxide and pyrrolidine-2,4-diol moieties, from the marine sponge Petrosia alfiani and determined their structures including the absolute configurations using computational methods. They exhibited potent inhibitory activities against USP7 with IC50 values in the range of 0.13–2.0 μM.

Notoamide S has been hypothesized to be a key biosynthetic intermediate for characteristic metabolites stephacidin A, notoamide B, and versicolamide B in Aspergillus sp. but has not yet been isolated. The isolation of notoamide S and an enantiomeric mixture of 6-epi-stephacidin A enriched with the (−)-isomer from Aspergillus amoenus is reported. The presence of (+)-versicolamide B suggests that the fungus possesses only the oxidase, which converts (+)-6-epi-stephacidin A into (+)-Versicolamide B, but not for (−)-6-epi-Stephacidin A.

Two new strongylophorine derivatives, along with six known strongylophorines, were isolated from the marine sponge Petrosia corticata as proteasome inhibitors. Of these, a hemiacetal mixture of strongylophorines-13/-14 was the strongest inhibitor of the proteasome with an IC50 of 2.1 μM.

We previously described the bioconversion of Notoamide T into (+)-Stephacidin A and (−)-Notoamide B, which suggested that Versicolamide B (8) is biosynthesized from 6-epi-Notoamide T (10) via 6-epi-Stephacidin A. Here we report that [13C]2-10 was incorporated into isotopically enriched 8 and seven new metabolites, which were not produced under normal culture conditions. The results suggest that the addition of excess precursor activated the expression of dormant tailoring genes giving rise to these structurally unprecedented metabolites.

A diterpene with a new skeleton, niphateolide A (1), was isolated from the marine sponge, Niphates olemda, as an inhibitor of the p53-Hdm2 interaction. Its structure was elucidated by NMR spectroscopy and its absolute configuration was established as 10R, 11R by ECD at the vacuum-ultraviolet region with a theoretical calculation. Compound 1 was observed as an inseparable stereoisomeric mixture at C-17 and an ECD analysis was subsequently performed by adopting a virtual equilibrium between the simplified two forms, 10R,11R,17R- and 10R,11R,17S-1a, in which the calculated ECD spectra were correctively integrated with the theoretically-derived internal and free energies.

Five new polyketide endoperoxides, manadodioxans A−E, were isolated from the marine sponge Plakortis bergquistae. Manadodioxan E showed antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli at 10 μg/disk, while its oxo congener, manadodioxan D, was inactive.

Five new manzamine alkaloids, acanthomanzamines A–E, were isolated from the marine sponge Acanthostrongylophora ingens. Acanthomanzamines A and B are the first examples, containing a tetrahydroisoquinoline instead of a β-carboline in manzamine-related alkaloids. Acanthomanzamine C contains a hexahydrocyclopenta[b]pyrrol-4(2H)-one ring that may be converted from an eight-membered ring in manzamine A. Acanthomanzamines D and E have an additional oxazolidine and 2-methyloxazolidine rings, respectively, which fuse to the manzamine skeleton.

Two new manzamine alkaloids, acantholactam (3) and pre-neo-kauluamine (4), were isolated from the marine sponge Acanthostrongylophora ingens along with manzamine A (1) and neo-kauluamine (2). Acantholactam contains a γ-lactam ring N-substituted with a (Z)-2-hexenoic acid moiety and is proposed to be biosynthetically derived from manzamine A by oxidative cleavage of the eight-membered ring. Compound 4 was converted to the dimer 2 during storage, suggesting nonenzymatic dimer formation. Among the four isolated compounds, 1, 2, and 4 showed proteasome inhibitory activity.

Halenaquinone was isolated from the marine sponge Petrosia alfiani as an inhibitor of osteoclastogenic differentiation of murine RAW264 cells. It inhibited the RANKL (receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand)-induced upregulation of TRAP (tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase) activity as well as the formation of multinuclear osteoclasts. In addition, halenaquinone substantially suppressed RANKL-induced IκB degradation and Akt phosphorylation. Thus, these results suggest that halenaquinone inhibits RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis at least by suppressing the NF-κB and Akt signaling pathways.

Siladenoserinols A–L were isolated from a tunicate as inhibitors of p53–Hdm2 interaction, a promising target for cancer chemotherapy. Their structures including the absolute configurations were elucidated to be new sulfonated serinol derivatives, each of which contains a 6,8-dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]octane unit and either glycerophosphocholine or glycerophosphoethanolamine moiety. They inhibited p53–Hdm2 interaction with IC50 values of 2.0–55 μM. Among them, siladenoserinol A and B exhibited the strongest inhibition with an IC50 value of 2.0 μM.

The formation of foam cells in macrophages plays an essential role in the progression of early atherosclerotic lesions and therefore its prevention is considered to be a promising target for the treatment of atherosclerosis. We found that an extract of the marine sponge Acanthostrongylophora ingens inhibited the foam cell formation induced by acetylated low-density lipoprotein (AcLDL) in human monocyte-derived macrophages, as measured based on the accumulation of cholesterol ester (CE). Bioassay-guided purification of inhibitors from the extract afforded manzamines. Manzamine A was the most potent inhibitor of foam cell formation, and also suppressed CE formation in Chinese hamster ovary cells overexpressing acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyl-transferase (ACAT)-1 or ACAT-2. In addition, manzamine A inhibited ACAT activity. Next, we orally administered manzamine A to apolipoprotein E (apoE)-deficient mice for 80 days, and found that total cholesterol, free cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in serum were significantly reduced and the area of atherosclerotic lesions in the aortic sinus was also substantially diminished. These findings clearly suggest that manzamine A suppresses hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis in apoE-deficient mice by inhibiting ACAT and is therefore a promising lead compound in the prevention or treatment of atherosclerosis. Although manzamine A has been reported to show several biological activities, this is the first report of a suppressive effect of manzamine A on atherosclerosis in vivo.

USP7, a deubiquitylating enzyme hydrolyzing the isopeptide bond at the C-terminus of ubiquitin, is an emerging cancer target. We isolated spongiacidin C from the marine sponge Stylissa massa as the first USP7 inhibitor from a natural source. This compound inhibited USP7 most strongly with an IC50 of 3.8 μM among several USP family members tested.

Two new dimeric sterols, manadosterols A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the marine sponge Lissodendryx fibrosa collected in Indonesia. The two compounds are comprised of two sulfonated sterol cores connected through the respective side chains. Manadosterols A (1) and B (2) inhibited the Ubc13-Uev1A interaction with IC50 values of 0.09 and 0.13 μM, respectively. They are the second and third natural compounds showing inhibitory activities against the Ubc13–Uev1A interaction and are more potent than leucettamol A (IC50, 106 μM), the first such inhibitor, isolated from another marine sponge.

Hyrtioreticulins A–E (1–5) were isolated from the marine sponge Hyrtios reticulatus, along with a known alkaloid, hyrtioerectine B (6). Structural elucidation on the basis of spectral data showed that 1, 2, and 5 are new tetrahydro-β-carboline alkaloids, while 3 and 4 are new azepinoindole-type alkaloids. Hyrtioreticulins A and B (1 and 2) inhibited ubiquitin-activating enzyme (E1) with IC50 values of 0.75 and 11 μg/mL, respectively, measured by their inhibitory abilities against the formation of an E1-ubiquitin intermediate. So far, only five E1 inhibitors, panapophenanthrine, himeic acid A, largazole, and hyrtioreticulins A and B (1 and 2), have been isolated from natural sources and, among them, 1 is the most potent E1 inhibitor.

Spironaamidine (1), a unique spiroquinone-containing alkaloid, was isolated from the marine sponge, Leucetta microraphis, along with two known imidazole alkaloids, naamidine H (2) and (9E)-clathridine 9-N-(2-sulfoethyl)imine (3). Spironaamidine (1) showed antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus.

Notoamides O−R were isolated from a marine-derived Aspergillus sp. Notoamide O possesses a novel hemiacetal/hemiaminal ether functionality hitherto unknown among this family of prenylated indole alkaloids. The structure represents an unusual branch point for the oxidative modification of other members in the family of prenylated indole alkaloids in the biogenetic pathway.

Aaptamine (1), isoaaptamine (2), and demethylaaptamine (3) were isolated from the marine sponge Aaptossuberitoides collected in Indonesia as inhibitors of the proteasome. They inhibited the chymotrypsin-like and caspase-like activities of the proteasome with IC50 values of 1.6–4.6 μg/mL, while they showed less inhibition of the trypsin-like activity of the proteasome. The three compounds showed cytotoxic activities against HeLa cells, but their cytotoxicity did not correlate with their potency as proteasome inhibitors, strongly suggesting that their proteasomal inhibitory activity is dispensable to their cytotoxicity.Aaptamine, isoaaptamine, and demethylaaptamine were isolated from the marine sponge Aaptossuberitoides as proteasome inhibitors. They inhibited the chymotrypsin-like activity of the proteasome with IC50 values of 1.6–4.3 μg/mL.