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Title: THE CHARACTERIZATION OF 6-EPI-3-ANHYDROOPHIOBOLIN B FROM A WILD-TYPE STRAINOF COCHLIOBOLUS HETEROSTROPHUS

Author
item SHEN, XIAOYU - UNIVERISTY OF MISSISSIPPI
item KRASNOFF, STUART - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
item LU, SHUNWEN - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
item DUNBAR, D - UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
item O'NEAL, JAMES - UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
item TURGEON, B - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
item YODER, OLEN - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
item Gibson, Donna
item HAMANN, MARK - UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI

Submitted to: Journal of Natural Products
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/30/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Cochlibolus heterostrophus, the causal agent of corn leaf blight, is an economically important pathogen, capable of causing huge losses in sensitive corn lines. Members of this fungal genus are known to produce a family of secondary compounds known as ophiobolins which may play a role in the infection process. These compounds have an unusual structure and are known to exhibit a broad spectrum of activity against a range of organisms In this study, we identified a new compound, ophiobolin A, and investigated its potential as the major component in several biological systems. Its potent activity suggests the ophiobolins may provide promising lead chemistries that could be optimized to provide new biologically active compounds.

Technical Abstract: The new compound 6-epi-3-anhydroophiobolin B (1) and six known ophiobolins were isolated from the extracts of a wild-type strain of Cochliobolus heterostrophus race O. The structure of 6-epi-anhydroophiobolin B was deduced from analysis of spectral data and the structural characterization of dehydration and dimerization products. Ophiobolin A (2) showed potent activity in cytotoxicity assays, and marginal activity in antimalarial assays.