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A new decenoic acid derivative, gelliodesinic acid, and a naturally new alkaloid, together with three known furanoterpenoids and two known indole alkaloids, were isolated from the MeOH extract of the marine sponge Gelliodes sp. collected in Vietnam. The chemical structures of the isolated compounds were determined by analyses of 1D- and 2D-NMR and MS data and by comparisons of the data with those reported in the literature. The cytotoxicity assay against HeLa, MCF-7, and A549 cancer cell lines revealed that the three known furanoterpenes exhibited cytotoxic activities with IC 50 values ranging from 23.6 to 75.5 μM against the three cell lines, and that 1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid showed cytotoxicity with an IC 50 value of 89.2 μM against A549 cancer cell lines., (© 2020 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

Eight new guaipyridine sesquiterpene alkaloids, rupestines F-M (1-8) were isolated from the leaves of Artemisia rupestris and their structures were elucidated on the basis of 2D-NMR data. The absolute configurations of 1-8 have been assigned by comparison of their experimental and calculated circular dichroism (CD) spectra.

Abstract: AmbP1 is a cyanobacterial aromatic prenyltransferase and a dedicated synthase for (R)‐3‐geranyl‐3‐isocyanovinyl indolenine (2), the biogenetic precursor for hapalindole‐type alkaloids. The regioselective geranylation of cis‐indolyl vinyl isonitrile (1) by the standalone AmbP1 to give 2 has been shown to require a magnesium ion (Mg2+) to suppress the formation of cis‐2‐geranylindolyl vinyl isonitrile (3). Here, we report high‐resolution crystal structures of AmbP1 in complex with 1 and geranyl S‐thiodiphosphate (GSPP) in the presence and absence of a Mg2+ effector. The comparative study of these structures revealed a unique allosteric binding site for Mg2+ that modulates the conformation of 1 in the active site of AmbP1 for its selective geranylation. This work defines the structural basis for AmbP1 catalysis in the biogenesis of hapalindole‐type alkaloids and provides the first atomic‐level insight to the allosteric regulation of prenyltransferases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cyanobacterial prenyltransferase AmbP3 catalyzes the reverse prenylation of the tetracyclic indole alkaloid hapalindole U at its C-2 position. Interestingly, AmbP3 also accepts hapalindole A, a halogenated C-10 epimer of hapalindole U, and catalyzes normal prenylation at its C-2 position. The comparison of the two ternary crystal structures, AmbP3-DMSPP/hapalindole U and AmbP3-DMSPP/hapalindole A, at 1.65-2.00 Å resolution revealed two distinct orientations for the substrate binding that define reverse or normal prenylation. The tolerance of the enzyme for these altered orientations is attributed to the hydrophobicity of the substrate binding pocket and the plasticity of the amino acids surrounding the allyl group of the prenyl donor. This is the first study to provide the intimate structural basis for the normal and reverse prenylations catalyzed by a single enzyme, and it offers novel insight into the engineered biosynthesis of prenylated natural products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel C16N2-type Lycopodium alkaloid consisting of a quinolizidine with a 6-dimethylaminohexyl side chain, hupermine A (1), was isolated from the club moss of Huperzia phlegmaria, and the structure and relative stereochemistry were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Eight new guaipyridine sesquiterpene alkaloids, rupestines F-M, are isolated and their structures and absolute configurations are elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]