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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Functionalized Spirocyclic Heterocycle Synthesis and Cytotoxicity Assay
Published on: February 9, 2021
Sponge-derived fijianolide polyketide class: further evaluation of their structural and cytotoxicity properties
Tyler A Johnson1, Karen Tenney, Robert H Cichewicz
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Institute for Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
Abstract:
The sponge-derived polyketide macrolides fijianolides A (1) and B (2), isolaulimalide and laulimalide, have taxol-like microtubule-stabilizing activity, and the latter exhibits potent cytotoxicity. Insight on the biogeographical and phenotypic variations of Cacospongia mycofijiensis is presented that will enable a future study of the biosynthetic pathway that produces the fijianolides. In addition to fijianolides A and B, six new fijianolides, D-I (7-12), were isolated, each with modifications to the C-20 side chain of the macrolide ring. Compounds 7-12 exhibited a range of in vitro activities against HCT-116 and MDA-MB-435 cell lines. Fijianolides 8 and 10 were shown to disrupt interphase and mitotic division, but were less potent than 2. An in vivo evaluation of 2 using tumor-bearing severe combined immuno-deficiency mice demonstrated significant inhibition of growth in HCT-116 tumors over 28 days.
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