Gerhard Mihm

Marine actinomycetes as a source of novel secondary metabolites.

A set of 600 actinomycetes strains which were isolated from marine sediments from various sites in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans were screened for the production of bioactive secondary metabolites. Marine streptomycete strains were found to be producers of well known chemically diverse antibiotics isolated from terrestrial streptomycetes, as in the case of marine Micromonospora strains. New marine members of the rare genus Verrucosispora seem to be a promising source for novel bioactive secondary metabolites as shown in the case of the abyssomicin producing strain AB-18-032.

Frigocyclinone, a novel angucyclinone antibiotic produced by a Streptomyces griseus strain from Antarctica.

A new angucyclinone antibiotic, frigocyclinone, was isolated from Streptomyces griseus strain NTK 97, consisting of a tetrangomycin moiety attached through a C-glycosidic linkage with the aminodeoxysugar ossamine. Frigocyclinone showed antibacterial activities against Gram-positive bacteria.

Heterocyclic Thrombin Inhibitors. Part 2: Quinoxalinone Derivatives as Novel, Potent Antithrombotic Agents

Quinoxalinone derivatives as prototypes of dual thrombin and factor Xa inhibitors have been discovered. Nanomolar inhibition of both coagulation enzymes resulted in very potent antithrombotic activity in vitro.

Characterization of BIBN 99: a lipophilic and selective muscarinic M2 receptor antagonist.

The present study was designed to characterize the receptor selectivity profile of the novel muscarinic M2 receptor antagonist BIBN 99 (5,11-dihydro-8-chloro-11-[[4-[3-[(2,2-dimethyl-1- oxopentyl)ethylamino]propyl]-1-piperidinyl]acetyl]-6H- pyrido[2,3-b][1,4]benzodiazepin-6-one). In radioligand binding studies BIBN 99 showed high affinity for m2/M2 sites (pKi = 7.52/7.57), intermediate affinity for m4 sites (pKi = 6.76) and low affinity for m1/M1 (pKi = 5.97/6.17), m3/M3 (pKi = 6.11/6.04) and m5 sites (pKi = 5.84). Functional studies in vitro showed BIBN 99 to be a competitive antagonist and to have an 11- to 25-fold higher affinity for M2 receptors than for putative M1 receptors in the rabbit vas deferens or M3 receptors in guinea-pig trachea. In vivo studies revealed that BIBN 99 is able to cross the blood-brain barrier, and although showing an approximately 3-fold higher affinity for M2 binding sites BIBN 99 appeared to be 7- to 18-fold less potent than AF-DX 116 in inhibiting muscarinic agonist or vagally induced bradycardia in rats and guinea-pigs. The results show that BIBN 99 is the first lipophilic muscarinic M2 receptor antagonist to have remarkable M2 versus M1 selectivity (30-fold). In addition, BIBN 99 possesses central nervous system activity and only minor peripheral cardiac effects.