Aleksej Krunic

Antimicrobial Ambiguine Isonitriles from the Cyanobacterium Fischerella ambigua

Five new antibacterial ambiguine K-O isonitriles (1-5) and eight previously described indole alkaloids were isolated from the cultured cyanobacterium Fischerella ambigua (UTEX 1903) by bioassay-guided fractionation. The planar structures of the new compounds were determined by spectroscopic analysis including MS and 1D and 2D NMR. X-ray crystallography was used to determine the absolute stereoconfiguration of ambiguine K isonitrile. The isolates were evaluated for their antibacterial activities against a set of bacterial targets, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Bacillus anthracis. Ambiguine K and M isonitriles showed the most potent activity against M. tuberculosis, with MIC values of 6.6 and 7.5 microM, respectively. Ambiguine A isonitrile showed the most potent activity against B. anthracis, with a MIC of 1.0 microM.

Hapalindole-related alkaloids from the cultured cyanobacterium Fischerella ambigua.

Four hapalindole-related alkaloids, namely fischambiguines A and B, ambiguine P, ambiguine Q nitrile as well as ambiguine G nitrile were identified from the cultured cyanobacterium Fischerella ambigua (UTEX 1903). The structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis including MS, 1D and 2D NMR and X-ray crystallography. The alkaloids possessed fused pentacyclic and hexacyclic carbon skeletons. Fischambiguine B displayed a strong inhibitory activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis with an MIC value of 2 μM, with no detectable cytotoxicity in a Vero cell line.

Essential Parameters for Structural Analysis and Dereplication by 1H NMR Spectroscopy

The present study demonstrates the importance of adequate precision when reporting the δ and J parameters of frequency domain 1H NMR (HNMR) data. Using a variety of structural classes (terpenoids, phenolics, alkaloids) from different taxa (plants, cyanobacteria), this study develops rationales that explain the importance of enhanced precision in NMR spectroscopic analysis and rationalizes the need for reporting Δδ and ΔJ values at the 0.1–1 ppb and 10 mHz level, respectively. Spectral simulations paired with iteration are shown to be essential tools for complete spectral interpretation, adequate precision, and unambiguous HNMR-driven dereplication and metabolomic analysis. The broader applicability of the recommendation relates to the physicochemical properties of hydrogen (1H) and its ubiquity in organic molecules, making HNMR spectra an integral component of structure elucidation and verification. Regardless of origin or molecular weight, the HNMR spectrum of a compound can be very complex and encode a wealth of structural information that is often obscured by limited spectral dispersion and the occurrence of higher order effects. This altogether limits spectral interpretation, confines decoding of the underlying spin parameters, and explains the major challenge associated with the translation of HNMR spectra into tabulated information. On the other hand, the reproducibility of the spectral data set of any (new) chemical entity is essential for its structure elucidation and subsequent dereplication. Handling and documenting HNMR data with adequate precision is critical for establishing unequivocal links between chemical structure, analytical data, metabolomes, and biological activity. Using the full potential of HNMR spectra will facilitate the general reproducibility for future studies of bioactive chemicals, especially of compounds obtained from the diversity of terrestrial and marine organisms.

An antimicrobial guanidine-bearing sesterterpene from the cultured cyanobacterium Scytonema sp.

Scytoscalarol (1), a antimicrobial sesterterpene bearing a guanidino group, was isolated from the cultured cyanobacterium Scytonema sp. (UTEX 1163) by bioassay-guided fractionation. The chemical structure was determined by spectroscopic analysis including MS and 1D and 2D NMR. Scytoscalarol (1) showed antimicrobial activities against Bacillus anthracis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis with MIC values in the range from 2 to 110 microM.

Nhatrangins A and B, aplysiatoxin-related metabolites from the marine cyanobacterium lyngbya majuscula from Vietnam

Two polyketide metabolites, nhatrangins A (1) and B (2), were isolated from a Vietnamese collection of Lyngbya majuscula. These compounds are related to the aplysiatoxin series of metabolites, which have also been isolated from this species of marine cyanobacterium. The use of 900 MHz cryoprobe NMR allowed the elucidation of the 2D structure of 1 from approximately 0.3 mg of compound. LC-MS analysis was utilized to direct the isolation of additional material as well as the isolation of 2. Conformational analysis was completed using J-based coupling constant analysis and selective NOE experiments.

Cylindrocyclophanes with proteasome inhibitory activity from the cyanobacterium Nostoc sp.

Material collected from a parkway in the city of Chicago afforded the isolation of a Nostoc species (UIC 10022A). The extract of this strain displayed significant inhibition of the 20S proteasome as well as antiproliferative activity against HT29, MCF7, NCI-H460, and SF268 cancer cell lines. A standardized dereplication protocol allowed for the rapid identification of three known (11-13) and nine new (1-9) chlorinated cylindrocyclophanes from less than 100 mg of organic extract. Scale-up isolation of 1-9 and 11-13 from a larger extract was guided by LC-UV-MS data. In addition, KBr enrichment of the culture media afforded the isolation of a brominated cylindrocyclophane (10). Biological evaluation of 1-5, 9, and 10-13 revealed a large range of activity against the 20S proteasome and allowed the determination of preliminary structure-activity relationships of the cylindrocyclophane pharmacophore.

Probing the structural requirements of non-electrophilic naphthalene-based Nrf2 activators.

Activation of the transcription factor Nrf2 has been posited to be a promising therapeutic strategy in a number of inflammatory and oxidative stress diseases due to its regulation of detoxifying enzymes. In this work, we have developed a comprehensive structure-activity relationship around a known, naphthalene-based non-electrophilic activator of Nrf2, and we report highly potent non-electrophilic activators of Nrf2. Computational docking analysis of a subset of the compound series demonstrates the importance of water molecule displacement for affinity, and the X-ray structure of di-amide 12e supports the computational analysis. One of the best compounds, acid 16b, has an IC50 of 61 nM in a fluorescence anisotropy assay and a Kd of 120 nM in a surface plasmon resonance assay. Additionally, we demonstrate that the ethyl ester of 16b is an efficacious inducer of Nrf2 target genes, exhibiting ex vivo efficacy similar to the well-known electrophilic activator, sulforaphane.

Minutissamides A-D, antiproliferative cyclic decapeptides from the cultured cyanobacterium Anabaena minutissima.

Four cyclic decapeptides, minutissamides A-D (1-4), were isolated from the cultured cyanobacterium Anabaena minutissima (UTEX 1613). The planar structures were determined using various spectroscopic techniques including HRESIMS and 1D and 2D NMR experiments. The absolute configurations of the α-amino acid residues were assigned using Marfeys method after acid hydrolysis. The absolute configuration of a β-amino acid residue was assigned by a combination of the advanced Marfeys method, J-based configurational analysis, and ROE spectroscopic analysis. The structures of minutissamides A-D (1-4) were characterized by the presence of three nonstandard α-amino acid residues (two α,β-dehydro-α-aminobutyric acids and one N-methylated Asn) and one β-amino acid residue (2-hydroxy-3-amino-4-methyldodecanoic acid or 2-hydroxy-3-amino-4-methylhexadecanoic acid). Minutissamides A-D (1-4) exhibited antiproliferative activity against the HT-29 human colon cancer cell line with IC₅₀ values of 2.0, 20.0, 11.8, and 22.7 μM, respectively.

Stigonemapeptin, an Ahp-Containing Depsipeptide with Elastase Inhibitory Activity from the Bloom-Forming Freshwater Cyanobacterium Stigonema sp.

Stigonemapeptin (1), a depsipeptide containing an Ahp (3-amino-6-hydroxy-2-piperidone) residue, was isolated from a bloom sample of the freshwater cyanobacterium Stigonema sp. collected from North Nokomis Lake in the Highland Lake District of northern Wisconsin. The planar structure was determined by 1D and 2D NMR experiments as well as HRESIMS analysis. The absolute configurations of the amino acids were determined using the advanced Marfeys method after acid hydrolysis. Stigonemapeptin (1), characterized by the presence of the Ahp residue, also contained the modified amino acids Abu (2-amino-2-butenoic acid) and N-formylated Pro. Stigonemapeptin (1) showed in vitro elastase and chymotrypsin inhibitory activity, with IC(50) values of 0.26 and 2.93 μM, respectively.

Merocyclophanes A and B, antiproliferative cyclophanes from the cultured terrestrial Cyanobacterium Nostoc sp.

The cell extract of a cultured terrestrial Nostoc sp. (UIC 10062), obtained from a sample collected at Grand Mere State Park in Michigan, displayed antiproliferative activity against the HT-29 human colon cancer cell line. Bioactivity-guided fractionation of the cell extract, combined with LC-MS analysis, led to the isolation of two cyclophanes, named merocyclophanes A and B (1 and 2). Their structures were determined by various spectroscopic techniques including HRESIMS, and 1D and 2D NMR analyses. The stereoconfiguration was assigned on the basis of X-ray crystallographic and CD analyses. The structures of merocyclophanes A and B (1 and 2) established a hitherto unknown [7.7]paracyclophane skeleton in nature, as characterized by α-branched methyls at C-1/14. Merocyclophanes A and B (1 and 2) displayed antiproliferative activity against the HT-29 human colon cancer cell line with IC₅₀ values of 3.3 and 1.7 μM, respectively.