Fungal natural products in research and development

Abstract

To date approximately 100 000 fungal species are known although far more than one million are expected. The variety of species and the diversity of their habitats, some of them less exploited, allow the conclusion that fungi continue to be a rich source of new metabolites. Besides the conventional fungal isolates, an increasing interest in endophytic and in marine-derived fungi has been noticed. In addition new screening strategies based on innovative chemical, biological, and genetic approaches have led to novel fungal metabolites in recent years. The present review focuses on new fungal natural products published from 2009 to 2013 highlighting the originality of the structures and their biological potential. Furthermore synthetic products based on fungal metabolites as well as new developments in the uses or the biological activity of known compounds or new derivatives are discussed.

Biosynthetic investigation of phomopsins reveals a widespread pathway for ribosomal natural products in Ascomycetes

“…RiPP | mycotoxin | posttranslational modification | methyltransferase | biosynthesis A scomycetes constitute the largest phylum of the fungal kingdom and are a prolific source of natural products that are of great significance to humankind (1)(2)(3)(4). Beneficial ascomycetous natural products include many clinically important drugs and various food and industrial chemicals.…”

Cytotoxic acyl amides from the soil fungus Gymnascella dankaliensis

“…All substances (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12) were tested for their cytotoxic activity against mouse lymphoma cells (L5178Y) using a cellular MTT assay (Table 4). Compounds 4, 7, and 11 showed potent activity with IC 50 values of 0.44, 0.58 and 0.64 µM, respectively, whereas 12 exhibited moderate activity with an IC 50 value of 5.80 µM compared to kahalalide F (4.3 µM).…”

“…[1][2][3] Due to the fact that almost two thirds of all currently used antibiotics and anti-cancer agents are either natural products or derived from natural products, nature continues to be an attractive hunting ground for new drug candidates. Fungi are known as exceedingly rich sources of bioactive compounds, 4 as exemplified by the topoisomerase 2α inhibitor tricitrinol B from Penicillium citrinum, 5 the sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 inhibitors ascotricins A and B from Ascotricha chartarum, 6 the protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibitor aquastatin A from Cosmospora sp. 7 or myriocin from Isaria sinclairii, which led to fingolimod (Gilenya ® ) approved in 2010 for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.…”

New α-pyrone and phthalide from the Xylariaceae fungus

“…Fungi are well known as rich sources of new natural products with promising biological and pharmacological activities [1]. Recently, four sesquiterpenoids have been discovered from a Xylariaceae fungus [2].…”