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George R Pettit,
Yuping Tang,
Qingwen Zhang,
Gregory T Bourne,
Christoph A Arm,
John E Leet,
John C Knight, Robin K Pettit,
Jean-Charles Chapuis,
Dennis L Doubek,
Franklin J Ward,
Christine Weber,
John N A Hooper
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ABSTRACT: An investigation begun in 1979 directed at the Republic of Palau marine sponge Agelas axifera Hentschel for cancer cell growth inhibitory constituents subsequently led to the isolation of three new pyrimidine diterpenes designated axistatins 1 (1), 2 (2), and 3 (3), together with the previously reported formamides 4, 5, and agelasine F (6). The structures were elucidated by analysis of 2D-NMR spectra and by HRMS. All of the isolated compounds were found to be moderate inhibitors of cancer cell growth. Axistatins 1-3 (1-3), formamide 4, and agelasine F (6) also exhibited antimicrobial activity.
Journal of Natural Products 02/2013; · 3.13 Impact Factor
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George R Pettit,
Heidi J Rosenberg,
Rachel Dixon,
John C Knight,
Ernest Hamel,
Jean-Charles Chapuis, Robin K Pettit,
Fiona Hogan,
Brandy Sumner,
Kenneth B Ain,
Brindi Trickey-Platt
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ABSTRACT: Toward the objective of designing a structurally modified analogue of the combretastatin A-4 phosphate prodrug (1b) with the potential for increased specificity toward thyroid carcinoma, synthesis of a series of iodocombstatin phosphate (11a-h) and diiodocombstatin phosphate prodrugs (12a-h) has been accomplished. The diiodo series was obtained via 8a and 9c from condensation of 4 and 6, and the iodo sequence involved a parallel pathway. Both series of iodocombstatins were found to display significant to powerful inhibition of the growth of a panel of human cancer cell lines and of the murine P388 lymphocytic leukemia cell line. Of the diiodo series, 12a was also found to markedly inhibit growth of pediatric neuroblastoma, and monoiodocombstatin 9a strongly inhibited HUVEC growth. Overall, the strongest activity was found against the breast, CNS, leukemia, lung, and prostate cancer cell lines and the least activity against the pancreas and colon lines. Parallel biological investigations of tubulin interaction, antiangiogenesis, and antimicrobial effects were also conducted.
Journal of Natural Products 02/2012; 75(3):385-93. · 3.13 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The synthesis of bis-steroidal pyrazines derived from 3-oxo-11,21-dihydroxypregna-4,17(20)-diene (4) and glycosylation of a D-ring side chain with α-L-rhamnose have been summarized. Rearrangement of steroidal pyrazine 10 to 14 was found to occur with boron triflouride etherate. Glycosylation of pyrazine 10 using 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-α-L-rhamnose iodide led to 1,2-orthoester-α-L-rhamnose pyrazine 17b. By use of a persilylated α-L-rhamnose iodide as donor, formation of the orthoester was avoided. Bis-steroidal pyrazine 10 and rhamnosides 17b and 21c were found to significantly inhibit cancer cell growth in a murine and human cancer cell line panel. Pyrazine 9 inhibited growth of the nosocomial pathogen Enterococcus faecalis.
Journal of Natural Products 09/2011; 74(9):1922-30. · 3.13 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Bioassay-guided (murine P388 lymphocytic leukemia and human cancer cell lines) separation of an ethyl acetate extract prepared from the inky cap fungus Coprinus cinereus led to the isolation of three new sesquiterpenes, 7,7a-diepicoprinastatin 1 (1), 14-hydroxy-5-desoxy-2S,3S,9R-illudosin (2), and 4,5-dehydro-5-deoxyarmillol (3), together with the known armillol (4). The structure and relative configuration of 1 was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments. The structures of compounds 2, 3, and 4 were each deduced by a combination of HRMS and 1D and 2D NMR techniques. Cyclobutane 2 led to modest inhibition of the murine P388 leukemia cell line.
Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry 07/2010; 18(14):4879-83. · 2.82 Impact Factor
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Robin K Pettit
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ABSTRACT: Microbial natural products continue to be an unparalleled resource for pharmaceutical lead discovery, but the rediscovery rate is high. Bacterial and fungal sequencing studies indicate that the biosynthetic potential of many strains is much greater than that observed by fermentation. Prodding the expression of such silent (cryptic) pathways will allow us to maximize the chemical diversity available from microorganisms. Cryptic metabolic pathways can be accessed in the laboratory using molecular or cultivation-based approaches. A targeted approach related to cultivation-based methods is the application of small-molecule elicitors to specifically affect transcription of secondary metabolite gene clusters. With the isolation of the novel secondary metabolites lunalides A and B, oxylipins, cladochromes F and G, nygerone A, chaetoglobosin-542, -540 and -510, sphaerolone, dihydrosphaerolone, mutolide and pestalone, and the enhanced production of known secondary metabolites like penicillin and bacitracin, chemical elicitation is proving to be an effective way to augment natural product libraries.
Microbial Biotechnology 07/2010; 4(4):471-8. · 2.53 Impact Factor
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Robin K Pettit
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ABSTRACT: Microbes from extreme environments do not necessarily require extreme culture conditions. Perhaps the most extreme environments known, deep-sea hydrothermal vent sites, support an incredible array of archaea, bacteria, and fungi, many of which have now been cultured. Microbes cultured from extreme environments have not disappointed in the natural products arena; diverse bioactive secondary metabolites have been isolated from cultured extreme-tolerant microbes, extremophiles, and deep-sea microbes. The contribution of vent microbes to our arsenal of natural products will likely grow, given the culturability of vent microbes; their metabolic, physiologic, and phylogenetic diversity; numerous reports of bioactive natural products from microbes inhabiting high acid, high temperature, or high pressure environments; and the recent isolation of new chroman derivatives and siderophores from deep-sea hydrothermal vent bacteria.
Marine Biotechnology 05/2010; 13(1):1-11. · 3.43 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Bioassay-guided separation of an extract of the wings from a Taiwan butterfly, Byasa polyeuctes termessa, allowed isolation of a new cancer cell growth inhibitor designated papilistatin (1a). The structure was determined by analysis of 1D and 2D NMR spectra and by HRMS. Against a panel of six human and the murine P388 leukemia cancer cell lines, papilistatin exhibited cancer cell growth inhibition with GI(50)'s of 0.093-3.5 microg/mL. Papilistatin was also found to have antibacterial activity.
Journal of Natural Products 02/2010; 73(2):164-6. · 3.13 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Cancer cell line bioassay-guided separation of an ethyl acetate extract prepared from a plant-associated fungus, Coprinus cinereus, led to the isolation of three new sesquiterpenes, coprinastatin 1 (1), coprinol (2), and the epimer (4a), of the known sesquiterpene triol (4b). The previously described sesquiterpene 3 and oxazolinone 5 were also isolated. The structure and relative configuration of coprinastatin 1 (1) were determined by HRMS and by 1D- and 2D-NMR spectroscopic analyses. The structure of terpene 2 was elucidated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments. The remaining structures were similarly determined, structure 3 by spectroscopic analyses and both 4a and 5 by X-ray crystal structure determination. Coprinastatin 1 (1) was found to inhibit growth of the murine P388 lymphocytic leukemia cell line and the pathogenic bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
Journal of Natural Products 11/2009; 73(3):388-92. · 3.13 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: As part of a broad-based SAR investigation of E-resveratrol (strong sirtuin activator and antineoplastic) and the anticancer vascular-targeting combretastatin-type stilbenes, a series of twenty-three beta-E-nitrostyrenes was synthesized in order to evaluate potential antineoplastic, antitubulin, and antimicrobial activities. The beta-E-nitrostyrenes evaluated ranged from monosubstituted phenols to trimethoxy and 3-methoxy-4,5-methylenedioxy derivatives. Two of the beta-nitrostyrenes were synthesized as water-soluble sodium phosphate derivatives (4t, 4v). All except four (4r, 4s, 4t, 4u) of the series significantly inhibited a minipanel of human cancer cell lines. All but eight led to an IC(50) of <10 microM for inhibition of tubulin polymerization, and all except three (4l, 4t, 4v) displayed antimicrobial activity.
Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry 09/2009; 17(18):6606-12. · 2.82 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The alarming spread of multiple drug resistance in Staphylococcus aureus, combined with the frequent occurrence of S. aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis in biofilm-type infections, indicates a growing need for new therapies. The experimental steroidal amide anprocide [3beta-acetoxy-17beta-(l-prolyl)amino-5alpha-androstane] significantly reduced c.f.u. ml(-1) per suture (P <0.0001) in a murine model of topical S. aureus infection. In chequerboard assays with planktonic-grown S. aureus and S. epidermidis, anprocide was synergistic with bacitracin, oxacillin, clindamycin or ceftriaxone. Anprocide was also synergistic in combination with bacitracin or oxacillin against some isolates of biofilm-grown S. aureus and S. epidermidis.
Journal of Medical Microbiology 07/2009; 58(Pt 9):1203-6. · 2.50 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Two new cyclodepsipeptides designated bacillistatins 1 (1) and 2 (2) have been isolated from cultures of a sample of Bacillus silvestris that was obtained from a Pacific Ocean (southern Chile) crab. Each 12-unit cyclodepsipeptide strongly inhibited growth of a human cancer cell line panel, with GI(50)'s of 10(-4)-10(-5) microg/mL, and each compound was active against antibiotic-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae. The structures were elucidated by a combination of X-ray diffraction and mass and 2D NMR spectroscopic analyses, together with chemical degradation.
Journal of Natural Products 03/2009; 72(3):366-71. · 3.13 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis biofilms differ in structure, growth and regulation, and thus the high-throughput method of evaluating biofilm susceptibility that has been published for S. epidermidis cannot be applied to S. aureus without first evaluating the assay's reproducibility and reliability with S. aureus biofilms.
Staphylococcus aureus biofilms were treated with eleven approved antibiotics, lysostaphin, or Conflikt, exposed to the oxidation reduction indicator Alamar blue, and reduction relative to untreated controls was determined visually and spectrophotometrically. The minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC) was defined as < or = 50% Alamar blue reduction and a purple/blue well 60 min after the addition of Alamar blue. Because all of the approved antibiotics had MBICs >128 microg/ml (most >2048 microg/ml), lysostaphin and Conflikt, with relatively low MBICs, were used to correlate Alamar blue reduction with 2,3-bis(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide (XTT) reduction and viable counts (CFU/ml) for S. aureus ATCC 29213 and three clinical isolates. Alamar blue's stability and lack of toxicity allowed CFU/ml to be determined from the same wells as Alamar blue absorbances.
Overall, Alamar blue reduction had excellent correlation with XTT reduction and with CFU/ml. For ATCC 29213 and two clinical isolates treated with lysostaphin or Conflikt, Alamar blue reduction had excellent correlation with XTT reduction (r = 0.93-0.99) and with CFU/ml (r = 0.92-0.98). For one of the clinical isolates, the results were moderately correlated for Conflikt (r = 0.76, Alamar blue vs. XTT; r = 0.81, Alamar blue vs. CFU/ml) and had excellent correlation for lysostaphin (r = 0.95, Alamar blue vs. XTT; r = 0.97, Alamar blue vs. CFU/ml).
A reliable, reproducible method for evaluating biofilm susceptibility was successfully applied to S. aureus biofilms. The described method provides researchers with a simple, nontoxic, relatively inexpensive, high throughput measure of viability after drug treatment. A standardized biofilm Alamar blue assay should greatly increase the rate of discovery of S. aureus biofilm specific agents.
Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials 01/2009; 8:28. · 2.64 Impact Factor
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George R Pettit,
Fiona Hogan,
Jun-Ping Xu,
Rui Tan,
Toshihiko Nogawa,
Zbigniew Cichacz, Robin K Pettit,
Jiang Du,
Qing-Hua Ye,
Gordon M Cragg, [......],
Animesh Goswami,
Justin Searcy,
Larry Tackett,
Dennis L Doubek,
Lee Williams,
John N A Hooper,
Jean M Schmidt,
Jean-Charles Chapuis,
Denise N Tackett,
Felicia Craciunescu
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ABSTRACT: Bioassay-guided fractionation of extracts of various plants, marine organisms, and microorganisms has led to the discovery of new natural sources of a number of known compounds that have significant biological activity. The isolation of interesting and valuable cancer cell growth inhibitors including majusculamide C ( 1), axinastatin 5 ( 5), bengazoles A ( 6), B ( 7), and E ( 8), manzamine A ( 10), jaspamide ( 11), and neoechinulin A ( 19) has been summarized.
Journal of Natural Products 04/2008; 71(3):438-44. · 3.13 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Although biofilm-based fungal infections are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients, there is no standardized method for the in vitro evaluation of the drug susceptibility of biofilms. We investigated a high-throughput method for determining the susceptibility of Candida albicans biofilms that uses the oxidation reduction indicator Alamar blue (AB). Biofilms from the tested Candida albicans strains were markedly resistant to amphotericin B (AMB), nystatin (NYT), fluconazole (FLC) and 5-fluorouracil (5FC), but susceptible to Conflikt disinfectant. The latter was used in comparative studies of AB reduction with two other methods for assessing in vitro drug susceptibility i.e., 2,3-bis(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide (XTT) reduction and enumeration of viable colony counts (CFU/ml). AB results correlated well with XTT (r=0.88-0.93) and CFU/ml (r=0.93-0.99) for all four C. albicans test strains. This simple, reproducible method for determining in vitro drug susceptibility should facilitate discovery of antifungals active against Candida biofilms.
Medical Mycology 12/2007; 45(7):603-7. · 2.46 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Total synthesis of the 18-membered ring cyclodepsipeptide believed to be respirantin (1b) has been achieved. The key step in the synthesis is an intramolecular transesterification of the beta-ketoester alcohol 6 to afford the protected macrocycle 5. The synthetic product was shown to be identical to a natural product presumed to be respirantin (1b), and the absolute stereochemistry of six of the seven asymmetric centers of cyclodepsipeptide 1b was unequivocally established. Respirantin (1b) was found to be a remarkable inhibitor of cancer cell growth and related to the antimycin family of antibiotics.
Journal of Natural Products 08/2007; 70(7):1073-83. · 3.13 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: By utilizing a bioassay-guided separation (P388 lymphocytic leukemia and a panel of human cancer cell lines) of fermentation broths from a Kitasatospora sp. collected from a tundra soil sample taken at the shore of the Beaufort Sea, we have isolated three powerful (GI50 to 0.0006 microg/mL) cancer cell growth inhibitors (1-3) and determined their structures to be closely related cyclodepsipeptides. From 380 L fermentations of Kitasatospora sp. were obtained 2.6 mg of a new cyclodepsipeptide designated kitastatin 1 (3), accompanied by the previously known respirantin (1, 10.8 mg) and its valeryl homologue (2, 4.8 mg). The structures were determined by employment of a series of high-resolution mass and 2D NMR spectroscopic analyses. The stereochemical assignments and overall structures were confirmed by subsequent total synthesis of depsipeptide 1, as reported in the accompanying contribution.
Journal of Natural Products 08/2007; 70(7):1069-72. · 3.13 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Total synthesis of the 18-membered ring cyclodepsipeptide believed to be respirantin (1b) has been achieved. The key step in the synthesis is an intramolecular transesterification of the β-ketoester alcohol 6 to afford the protected macrocycle 5. The synthetic product was shown to be identical to a natural product presumed to be respirantin (1b), and the absolute stereochemistry of six of the seven asymmetric centers of cyclodepsipeptide 1b was unequivocally established. Respirantin (1b) was found to be a remarkable inhibitor of cancer cell growth and related to the antimycin family of antibiotics.
07/2007;
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ABSTRACT: A Streptomyces sp. isolated from riverbank soil in Manitoba, Canada, was found to contain two cancer cell growth inhibitories: diazaanthraquinone 1 and 3-(hydroxyacetyl)indole (8). The structures were determined by interpretation of data from HRMS, UV, and high-field (400 MHz) NMR experiments. The red-colored diazaanthraquinone 1 and 3-(hydroxyacetyl)indole (8) were found to inhibit (0.1-3 microg/mL) growth of a minipanel of human cancer cell lines and P388 lymphocytic leukemia cells. Diazaanthraquinone 1 was also found to inhibit growth of the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria gonorrheae. However, three companion constituents, cyclo-Pro-Leu (5), cyclo-Pro-Phe (6), and cyclo-Pro-Val (7), did not inhibit cancer cell growth.
Journal of Natural Products 06/2006; 69(5):804-6. · 3.13 Impact Factor
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George R. Pettit,,
Jiang Du,, Robin K. Pettit,,
Linda A. Richert,,
Fiona Hogan,,
Venugopal J. R. V. Mukku, and,
Michael S. Hoard
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ABSTRACT: A Streptomyces sp. isolated from riverbank soil in Manitoba, Canada, was found to contain two cancer cell growth inhibitories: diazaanthraquinone 1 and 3-(hydroxyacetyl)indole (8). The structures were determined by interpretation of data from HRMS, UV, and high-field (400 MHz) NMR experiments. The red-colored diazaanthraquinone 1 and 3-(hydroxyacetyl)indole (8) were found to inhibit (0.1−3 μg/mL) growth of a minipanel of human cancer cell lines and P388 lymphocytic leukemia cells. Diazaanthraquinone 1 was also found to inhibit growth of the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria gonorrheae. However, three companion constituents, cyclo-Pro-Leu (5), cyclo-Pro-Phe (6), and cyclo-Pro-Val (7), did not inhibit cancer cell growth.
03/2006;
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ABSTRACT: The present SAR study of combretastatin A-3 (3a) focused on replacement of the 3-hydroxyl group by a series of halogens. That approach with Z-stilbenes resulted in greatly enhanced (>10-100-fold) cancer cell growth inhibition against a panel of human cancer cell lines and the murine P388 lymphocytic leukemia cell line. Synthesis of the 3-fluoro-Z-stilbene designated fluorcombstatin (11a) and its potassium 3'-O-phosphate derivative (16c) by the route 7 --> 8a --> 11a --> 14 --> 16c illustrates the general synthetic pathway. The 3'-O-phosphoric acid ester (15) of 3-bromo-Z-stilbene 13a was also converted to representative cation salts to evaluate the potential for improved aqueous solubility, and the potassium salt (16 mg/mL in water) proved most useful. The fluoro (11a), chloro (12a), and bromo (13a) halocombstatins were nearly equivalent to combretastatin A-4 (1a) as inhibitors of tubulin polymerization and of the binding of colchicine to tubulin. The tubulin binding in cell-free systems was also retained in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. All three halocombstatins retained the powerful human cancer cell line inhibitory activity of combretastatin A-4 (1a) and proved superior to combretastatin A-3 (3a). In addition, the halocombstatins targeted Gram-positive bacteria and Cryptococcus neoformans.
Journal of Natural Products 11/2005; 68(10):1450-8. · 3.13 Impact Factor
