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A series of chlorinated bisindole pyrroles, lynamicins A-E (1-5), was discovered from a novel marine actinomycete, NPS12745, which was isolated from a marine sediment collected off the coast of San Diego, California. Close to full length 16S rRNA sequence analysis indicated that NPS12745 is a novel strain of a recently described marine actinomycete with the proposed genus name Marinispora. The antimicrobial spectrum of these compounds was evaluated against a panel of 11 pathogens, which demonstrated that these substances possess broad-spectrum activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms. Significantly, compounds 1-5 were active against drug-resistant pathogens such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium.

Marine actinomycete strain NPS008920, a member of the new genus Marinispora, was isolated from a sediment sample collected in Cocos Lagoon, Guam. In natural sea water containing media, the strain produced a series of novel 2-alkylidene-5-alkyl-4-oxazolidinones, lipoxazolidinone A (1), B (2), and C (3). Compounds 1- 3 showed broad spectrum antimicrobial activity similar to that of the commercial antibiotic linezolid (Zyvox), a 2-oxazolidinone. Hydrolysis of the amide bond of the 4-oxazolidinone ring of 1 resulted in loss of antibacterial activity. The 2-alkylidene-4-oxazolidinone represents a new antibiotic pharmacophore and is unprecedented in nature.