Search

To identify natural products and their associated biosynthetic genes from underutilized, difficult-to-manipulate microbes, chemical screening and bioinformatic analysis were employed to identify secondary metabolites and a potentially associated biosynthetic gene cluster. Subsequently, a heterologous expression system was used to confirm the identity of the gene cluster and the proposed biosynthetic mechanism. This approach successfully identified the curvupallide and spirostaphylotrichin biosynthetic pathways in endophytic fungus Curvularia pallescens and the short-chain pyranonigrin biosynthetic pathway in Aspergillus niger.

Antisense oligonucleotides are attractive therapeutic agents for several types of disease. One of the most promising modifications of antisense oligonucleotides is the introduction of bridged nucleic acids. As we report here, we designed novel bridged nucleic acids, triazole-bridged nucleic acid (TrNA), and tetrazole-bridged nucleic acid (TeNA), whose sugar conformations are restricted to N-type by heteroaromatic ring-bridged structures. We then successfully synthesized TrNA and TeNA and introduced these monomers into oligonucleotides. In UV-melting experiments, TrNA-modified oligonucleotides exhibited increased binding affinity toward complementary RNA and decreased binding affinity toward complementary DNA, although TeNA-modified oligonucleotides were decomposed under the annealing conditions. Enzymatic degradation experiments demonstrated that introduction of TrNA at the 3'-terminus rendered oligonucleotides resistant to nuclease digestion. Furthermore, we tested the silencing potencies of TrNA-modified antisense oligonucleotides using in vitro and in vivo assays. These experiments revealed that TrNA-modified antisense oligonucleotides induced potent downregulation of gene expression in liver. In addition, TrNA-modified antisense oligonucleotides showed a tendency for increased liver biodistribution. Taken together, our findings indicate that TrNA is a good candidate for practical application in antisense methodology.

Successful activation of the pyranonigrin biosynthetic gene cluster and gene knockout in Aspergillus niger plus in vivo and in vitro assays led to isolation of six new products, including a spiro cyclobutane-containing dimeric compound, which served as the basis for the proposed comprehensive pyranonigrin biosynthetic pathway. Two redox enzymes are key to forming the characteristic fused γ-pyrone core, and a protease homologue performs the exo-methylene formation.

Argifin, a 17-membered pentapeptide, inhibits chitinase. As argifin has properties that render it unsuitable as a drug development candidate, we devised a mechanism to create the structural component of argifin that bestows the chitinase inhibition and introduce it into a 14-membered macrolide scaffold. Here we describe (1) the designed macrolide, which exhibits ∼200-fold more potent chitinase inhibition than argifin, (2) the binding modes of the macrolide with Serratia marcescens chitinase B, and (3) the computed analysis explaining the reason for derivatives displaying increased inhibition compared to argifin, the macrolide aglycone displaying inhibition in a nanomolar range. This promises a class of chitinase inhibitors with novel skeletons, providing innovative insight for drug design and the use of macrolides as adaptable, flexible templates for use in drug discovery research and development.

2'-N,4'-C-(N-methylamino)sulfonylmethylene-bridged thymidine (SuNA), which has a six-membered linkage including a sulfonamide moiety, was synthesized and introduced into oligonucleotides. The oligonucleotides containing SuNA exhibited excellent nuclease resistance, a high affinity toward single-stranded RNA, and a low affinity toward single-stranded DNA compared to the natural oligonucleotide.

Aogacillins A and B, capable of overcoming arbekacin resistance in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), were isolated from a culture broth of Simplicillium sp. FKI-5985. Their structures were elucidated by NMR spectroscopic studies and ECD analyses. The aogacillins possessed a novel carbon skeleton, including a β-keto-γ-methyliden-δ-lactone ring connected to a 2-ethyl-6-methylcyclohexane ring by spiro conjugation.