Heinz Kolshorn

Hirsutane-Type Sesquiterpenes with Uncommon Modifications from Three Basidiomycetes

From three basidiomycetes, Xeromphalina sp., Stereum sp., and Pleurocybella porrigens, six triquinane sesquiterpenes with unprecendented modifications and a rearranged sesquiterpene related to coriolin C have been isolated. Their isolation, structure elucidation, and biological evaluation are described.

Xanthepinone, an antimicrobial polyketide from a soil fungus closely related to Phoma medicaginis.

The isolation, biological characterization, and structure elucidation of xanthepinone, a novel antifungal metabolite isolated from the broth of submerged cultures of a soil fungus, are described. Xanthepinone inhibits the conidial germination of Magnaporthe grisea (2 microg/mL), Phytophthora infestans (5 microg/mL), and Botrytis cinerea (10 microg/mL) while showing only weak antibacterial activity; cytotoxicity was not observed up to 50 microg/mL. Molecular taxonomy revealed that the producing strain is close to species in the genus Phoma as well as to uncultured soil fungi and endophytes.

Oxacyclododecindione, a novel inhibitor of IL-4 signaling from Exserohilum rostratum.

In a screening program for new metabolites from fungi inhibiting the IL-4 mediated signal transduction, a novel chlorinated macrocyclic lactone, designated as oxacyclododecindione, was isolated from fermentations of the imperfect fungus Exserohilum rostratum. The structure was determined by a combination of spectroscopic techniques. Oxacyclododecindione inhibits the IL-4 induced expression of the reporter gene secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) in transiently transfected HepG2 cells with IC50 values of 20~25 ng/ml (54~67.5 nM). Studies on the mode of action of the compound revealed that the inhibition of the IL-4 dependent signaling pathway is caused by blocking the binding of the activated STAT6 transcription factors to the DNA binding site without inhibiting tyrosine phosphorylation. The compound has no antibacterial or antifungal activity.

Tetracyclic Terpenoids from Dasyscyphus niveus, Dasyscyphins D and E

Cultures of the ascomycete Dasyscyphus niveus have yielded two new tetracyclic dasyscyphin-type terpenoids (1 and 2), and their structures were elucidated by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. The absolute configuration of dasyscyphin D (1) was determined by synthesis and NMR spectroscopy of diastereomeric MTPA esters. Both compounds inhibited the germination of conidia of Magnaporthe grisea at 25 microg/mL.

Polyfunctional Nitriles in Organic Syntheses: A Novel Route to Aminopyrroles, Pyridazines and Pyrazolo[3,4-c]pyridazines

Phenacylmalononitrile 1 reacts with dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal to yield an enaminone which could be readily converted into a pyrrole or an aminopyridazine by treating with ammonium acetate and hydrazine hydrate, respectively. Compound 1 reacted with hydrazine hydrate in ethanol at room temperature to yield the dihydropyridazine 9 as a single product. In refluxing ethanol this product further reacted with hydrazine hydrate to yield the novel dihydropyrazolopyridazinamine 10.

Sterelactones: New Isolactarane Type Sesquiterpenoids with Antifungal Activity from Stereum sp. IBWF 01060

Four members of a new family of tetracyclic sesquiterenoids possessing the isolactarane skeleton have been isolated from mycelial cultures of Stereum sp. IBWF 01060. Their structure elucidation and their antifungal activity against several plant pathogens as well as other microorganisms are reported.

Ascomycones A-C, heptaketide metabolites from an unidentified ascomycete.

The ascomycones A-C (1-3), three novel heptaketide-derived secondary metabolites, have been isolated from cultures of an unknown ascomycete. While 1 and 2 are closely related pyranonaphthoquinones, 3 has a bicyclic dihydronaphthoquinone core. Compounds 2 and 3 exhibited significant activity against several phytopathogenic fungi.

Introduction of unsaturated segments in the bridge of metacyclophanes

Abstract The cyclophanes 2a,b, which contain a triple bond in the meta-bridge, were transformed to the allenes 3a,b by the action of bases or acids. A further isomerization yielded the dienes 4a,b with ( E,Z )- or ( Z,Z )-configuration.

Polymerization of Triazolinediones withtrans‐3,3‐Dichloro‐1‐phenyl‐1‐propene

The reaction of 4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione (PhTD) (2) with trans-3,3-dichloro-1-phenyl-1-propene (4) was investigated at room and reflux temperatures in methylene chloride solution. Although the reaction is slow, it gives quantitative yield. This reaction leads to the formation of two 2:1 adducts via double Diels–Alder and Diels–Alder-Ene reactions in a ratio of about 1: 7. The major product was isolated by means of fractional crystallization as a pure compound and was characterized by infra-red (IR), 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), 13C NMR, mass spectra and elemental analysis. The structure of the minor product was determined by IR and 1H NMR. These compounds were used as models for the polymerization reactions. The reaction of bistriazolinediones (1,6-bis-(3,5-dioxo-1,2,4-triazoline-4-yl)hexane and bis-(p-3,5-dioxo-1,2,4-triazoline-4-ylphenyl)methane) with (4) was carried out in dimethylformamide (DMF). The reactions gave novel polymers via repetitive double Diels–Alder and Diels–Alder-Ene polyaddition reactions, with the major component being a Diels–Alder-Ene structure. These polymers have intrinsic viscosities in a range from 0·08 to 0·18dlg-1 in DMF. The physical properties and structural characterization of these polymers have been studied and are reported.

New naphthoquinone derivatives from the ascomycete IBWF79B-90A.

Bioactivity-guided fractionation of extracts from the fungus IBWF79B-90A resulted in the isolation of three known naphthoquinones, herbarin, dehydroherbarin, and O-methylherbarin and the azaanthraquinone scorpinone as well as three structurally related derivatives, O-phenethylherbarin and herbaridines A and B. All seven compounds exhibited cytotoxic activities against several cell lines.