The discovery of enfumafungin, a novel antifungal compound produced by an endophytic Hormonema species biological activity and taxonomy of the producing organisms

Pelaez, F Cabello, A Platas, G Diez, MT del Val, AG Basilio, A Martan, I Vicente, F Bills, GF Giacobbe, RA Schwartz, RE Onishi, JC Meinz, MS Abruzzo, GK Flattery, AM Kong, L Kurtz, MB

F. Pelaez et al., The discovery of enfumafungin, a novel antifungal compound produced by an endophytic Hormonema species biological activity and taxonomy of the producing organisms, SYST APPL M, 23(3), 2000, pp. 333-343

45

INGLESE

Article

Microbiology

SYSTEMATIC AND APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY

0723-2020 → ACNP

23

3

2000

333 - 343

ISI

0723-2020(200010)23:3<333:TDOEAN>2.0.ZU;2-0

In a screening of natural products with antifungal activity derived from en dophytic fungi, we detected a potent activity in a culture belonging to the form-genus Hormonema, isolated from leaves of Juniperus communis. The comp ound is a new triterpene glycoside, showing an antifungal activity highly p otent in vitro against Candida and Aspergillus and with moderate efficacy i n an in vivo mouse model of disseminated candidiasis. The agent is especial ly interesting since its antifungal spectrum and its effect on morphology o f Aspergillus fumigatus is comparable to that of the glucan synthase inhibi tor pneumocandin B-o, the natural precursor of the clinical candidate MK-09 91 (caspofungin acetate). An additional search for other Hormonema isolates producing improved titers or derivatives resulted in the isolation of two more strains recovered from the same plant host showing identical activity. The producing isolates were compared with other non-producing Hormonema st rains by DNA fingerprinting and sequencing of the rDNA internal transcribed spacers. Comparison of rDNA sequences with other fungal species suggests t hat the producing fungus could be an undetermined Kabatina species. Kabatin a is a coelomycetous genus whose members are known to produce Hormonema-lik e stares in culture.