Extraribosomal cyclic tetradepsipeptides beauverolides: profiling and modeling the fragmentation pathways

Area of Science:

• Mycology
• Natural Products Chemistry
• Mass Spectrometry

Background:

• Beauverolides are cyclic tetradepsipeptides produced by fungi.
• Accurate fungal strain identification is crucial for various scientific disciplines.
• Developing novel chemotaxonomic tools can improve fungal discrimination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate beauverolides as a chemotaxonomic tool for fungal strain identification.
• To characterize new beauverolide compounds.
• To investigate the fragmentation pathways of beauverolides using mass spectrometry.

Main Methods:

• Tandem mass spectrometry was employed for the profiling of beauverolides.
• Two new beauverolides, Q and R, were identified and characterized.
• A specific neutral loss of 113 atomic mass units was observed and utilized for data filtering.

Main Results:

• Beauverolide profiling demonstrated potential as a chemotaxonomic tool for fungal discrimination.
• Beauverolides Q and R were structurally elucidated.
• A consistent fragmentation pattern (113 amu loss) was identified across 12 dominant beauverolide congeners.

Conclusions:

• Beauverolide profiling using mass spectrometry is a viable method for fungal strain identification.
• The characteristic fragmentation pattern enhances selectivity and aids in data analysis.
• Further investigation into beauverolide fragmentation pathways can refine this chemotaxonomic approach.