Phellinsin A, a novel chitin synthases inhibitor produced by Phellinus sp. PL3

Phellinsin A, a novel chitin synthases inhibitor was isolated from the cultured broth of fungus PL3, which was identified as Phellinus sp. PL3. Phellinsin A was purified by solvent partition, silica gel, ODS column chromatographies, and preparative HPLC, consecutively. The structure of phellinsin A was assigned as a phenolic compound on the basis of various spectroscopic analyses including UV, IR, Mass, and NMR. Its molecular weight and formula were found to be 358 and C18H14O8, respectively. Phellinsin A selectively inhibited chitin synthase I and II of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with an IC50 value of 76 and 28 microg/ml, respectively, in our cell free assay system. This compound showed antifungal activity against Colletotrichum lagenarium, Pyricularia oryzae, Rhizoctonia solani, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Trichophyton mentagrophytes.