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Cyclic Peptides from the Opportunistic Pathogen Basidiobolus meristosporus

Cheng Zhao1, Jiaojiao Qu1, Fan Peng1

  • 1Engineering Research Center of Fungal Biotechnology, Ministry of Education; Research Center on Entomogenous Fungi, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui Province 230036, People's Republic of China.

Journal of Natural Products
|August 8, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Three novel cyclic peptides, meristosporins A-C, were isolated from a fungal pathogen. Two compounds demonstrated cytotoxicity, suggesting a role in fungal-induced human cell injury.

Area of Science:

  • Natural Product Chemistry
  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Opportunistic fungal pathogens can cause human cell injury.
  • Understanding fungal metabolites is crucial for identifying virulence factors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To isolate and characterize novel cyclic peptides from a fungal pathogen.
  • To investigate the biosynthetic pathway and biological activity of these compounds.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation and structure elucidation using NMR, MS/MS, and Marfey's analysis.
  • Biosynthetic pathway analysis via nonribosomal peptide synthetase gene clusters.
  • Cytotoxicity assays on RAW264.7 and 293T cells.

Main Results:

  • Three new cyclic peptides, meristosporins A, B, and C, were identified.
  • Meristosporin A features an unusual amino acid.
  • Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited cytotoxicity against tested cell lines.

Conclusions:

  • The identified cyclic peptides are novel secondary metabolites from a fungal pathogen.
  • Meristosporins A and B possess cytotoxic properties.
  • These compounds may contribute to the fungal-induced injury of human cells.

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