Compounds from the marine environment exhibit a wide variety of biological activities, and thus hold much promise as potential drugs. The halichondrins, isolated from the Kaikoura sponge Lissodendoryx sp. are no exception to this, demonstrating potent anticancer activity. Novel cytotoxic compounds have also been isolated from the Chatham Rise sponge Lamellomorpha strongylata. Knowledge of the cellular origins of such compounds is desirable, in order to establish if the sponge or associated micro-organisms are producing the compounds of interest. Siderophores are also important molecules, which are produced on demand by bacteria in order to obtain sufficient iron necessary for their growth. Knowledge of the biosynthesis of these compounds has potential for the control of undesirable bacteria, such as the anthrax-causing pathogen Bacillus anthracis. Cell separation studies have been carried out on Lamellomorpha strongylata, locating a swinholide in sponge-associated filamentous bacteria and theonellapeptolides in sponge-associated unicellular bacteria. A microscopic analysis of dissociated cells from Lissodendoryx sp. was also undertaken. The structures of four new halichondrins (3.13 - 3.16), isolated from Lissodendoryx sp., have been determined from spectral data. All of these compounds are very similar to known B series halichondrins, with differences occurring only beyond carbon 44. As biological activity has been shown to be derived from the portion of the molecule between carbons 1 and 35, they all retain good activity in the P388 assay as expected. A new siderophore, petrobactin sulfonate (4.2), was characterised, along with three cyclic imide siderophore derivatives (4.3 - 4.5). Petrobactin sulfonate is the first marine siderophore containing a sulfonated 3,4-dihydroxy aromatic ring. The structures were elucidated from spectral data, resulting in a revision of the NMR assignments of petrobactin.

Coibamide A is a methyl-stabilized cyclic depsipeptide with a lariat side chain that was isolated from a marine cyanobacterium as part of an International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups program based in Panama. Previous testing of this potent and selective growth-inhibitory agent in the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in vitro 60 human cell line panel revealed a "COMPARE-negative" profile indicative of a unique mechanism of action. Presented herein is a collection of studies characterizing the mechanism of action of coibamide A and cataloguing the cytotoxicities of putative coibamide A and related structures from efforts at its total synthesis. We report that coibamide A induces apoptotic and non-apoptotic cell death in human U87-MG and NCI-SF-295 glioblastoma cells, respectively, which can occur independently of a rapid and sustained mTOR-independent autophagic response. Loss of cell viability from coibamide A exposure was concentration-dependent and time-sensitive, characterized by extensive cytoplasmic vacuolization and an absence of apoptotic morphology and DNA fragmentation prior to cell rounding and detachment from the substratum. Coibamide A also induces a cytostatic effect mediated by a G1 phase specific cell cycle arrest and inhibits glioma cell invasion but not migration. Lastly, structure activity relationships suggest that linearization, loss of N-methylation and disjoining of the cyclic and side chain structures of coibamide A are not well-tolerated modifications to retain activity. / Graduation date: 2013 / Access restricted to the OSU Community at author's request from Jan. 8, 2013 - Jan. 8, 2014

Abstract Several sesquiterpenes isolated from a Formosan gorgonian coral Isis hippuris have shown significant cytotoxic activity against various cancer cell lines. In order to search other active components, we have investigated the chemical constituent of I. hippuris from a Green Island specimen. In the cytotoxcity assay, the EtOAc extract showed potent cytotoxic response toward P-388, A549 and HT-29 cancer cell lines. Thus, the investigation on the chemical content of this extract was carried out. This study finally led to the isolation of twelve steroids(1-12). Nine metabolites, hippuristerone G (1)¡Bhippuristerone H (2), hippuristerone I (3)¡Bhippuristerone J (4)¡Bhippuristerol E (5)¡B2a,3a-diacetoxy-24-methyl- 11b,18; 18,20b; 22,25-triepoxy-5a-furostane (7)¡B2a,3a-diacetoxy-11b- hydroxy-24-methyl-22,25-epoxy-5a-furostan-18,20b-lactone (10)¡B3a- acetoxy-11b,18a-dihydroxy-24-methyl-18,20b; 22,25-diepoxy-5a- furostane (11) and 2a,3a-diacetoxy-11b,18a-dihydroxy-24-methyl-18, 20b; 22,25-diepoxy-5a-furostane (12) are new compounds, whereas hippuristerone A (6), 3a-acetoxy-24-methyl-11b,18; 18,20b; 22,25- triepoxy-5a-furostane (7) and 3a-acetoxy-11b-hydroxy-24-methyl-22,25- epoxy-5a-furostan-18,20b-lactone (9) are known compounds. The structures of 1-12 were elucidated by spectroscopic evidences (IR, MS, 1D NMR, 2D NMR) and chemical method. The stereochemistries of compounds 7 and 9 were further confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Cytotoxicity test revealed that hippuristerone I (3) exhibited moderate inhibition toward NCI cancer cell line.

Compounds from the marine environment exhibit a wide variety of biological activities, and thus hold much promise as potential drugs. The halichondrins, isolated from the Kaikoura sponge Lissodendoryx sp. are no exception to this, demonstrating potent anticancer activity. Novel cytotoxic compounds have also been isolated from the Chatham Rise sponge Lamellomorpha strongylata. Knowledge of the cellular origins of such compounds is desirable, in order to establish if the sponge or associated micro-organisms are producing the compounds of interest. Siderophores are also important molecules, which are produced on demand by bacteria in order to obtain sufficient iron necessary for their growth. Knowledge of the biosynthesis of these compounds has potential for the control of undesirable bacteria, such as the anthrax-causing pathogen Bacillus anthracis. Cell separation studies have been carried out on Lamellomorpha strongylata, locating a swinholide in sponge-associated filamentous bacteria and theonellapeptolides in sponge-associated unicellular bacteria. A microscopic analysis of dissociated cells from Lissodendoryx sp. was also undertaken. The structures of four new halichondrins (3.13 - 3.16), isolated from Lissodendoryx sp., have been determined from spectral data. All of these compounds are very similar to known B series halichondrins, with differences occurring only beyond carbon 44. As biological activity has been shown to be derived from the portion of the molecule between carbons 1 and 35, they all retain good activity in the P388 assay as expected. A new siderophore, petrobactin sulfonate (4.2), was characterised, along with three cyclic imide siderophore derivatives (4.3 - 4.5). Petrobactin sulfonate is the first marine siderophore containing a sulfonated 3,4-dihydroxy aromatic ring. The structures were elucidated from spectral data, resulting in a revision of the NMR assignments of petrobactin.

Thesis (M.Sc.)--Victoria University of Wellington, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Canterbury, 2008. / Typescript (photocopy). "January 2008." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 201-215). Also available via the World Wide Web.

This thesis is divided into two parts and the rationale of the research conducted is based on the cytotoxicity of the prenylated quinones 1.24-1.29, isolated from the South African nudibranch Leminda millecra, against oesophageal cancer cells. The first part (Chapters 2 and 3) of the thesis initially documents the distribution of cytotoxic and antioxidant prenylated quinones and hydroquinones in the marine environment. We have been able to show, for the first time, that these compounds can be divided into eight structural classes closely related to their phyletic distribution. Secondly, we attempted to synthesize the two marine natural products 1.24 and 1.26 in an effort to contribute to an ongoing collaborative search with the Division of Medical Biochemistry at the University of Cape Town for new compounds with anti-oesophageal cancer activity. Accordingly, we followed the published synthetic procedure for 1.26 and, although we were unable to reproduce the reported results, we have generated five new prenylated quinone analogues 3.53-3.55, 3.63 and 3.71, which are a potentially viable addition to our ongoing structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies. Moreover, we embarked on a 7Li NMR mechanistic study for the synthesis of 3.2 from 3.1 which rewarded us with an improved and reproducible methodology for this crucial reaction that is detailed in Chapter 3. The second part of this thesis (Chapters 4 and 5) is concerned with a synthetic, structural, electrochemical and biological exploration of the 1,4-naphthoquinone nucleus as a primary pharmacophore in our search for new chemical entities which can induce apoptosis in oesophageal cancer cells, thus contributing to our overall ongoing SAR study in this class of compounds. Seven new naphthoquinone derivatves (4.19, 4.30, 4.31, 4.33 and 4.46-4.48) of the natural products 2-deoxylapachol (2.44), lapachol (4.1) and β-lapachone (5.2) were synthesized and 2-(1`-hydroxy-`-phenylmethyl)-1,4-naphthoquinone (4.29) was found to be the most cytotoxic (IC50 1.5 μM) against the oesophageal cancer cell line WHCO1, while 5.2, which is currently in phase II clinical trials as an anticancer drug, was found to be similarly active (IC50 1.6 μM). Electrochemical investigations of the redox properties of the benzylic alcohol derivatives 4.29-4.31 indicated a higher reduction potential compared to their oxidized counterparts 4.45-4.48, and this finding has been correlated to the increased activity of 4.29-4.31 against the WHCO1 cell line. Additionally, 4.29 is synthetically more accessible than either 1.26 or 5.2 and potentially a lead compound in our search for new and more effective chemotherapeutic agents against oesophageal cancer

Malaria, the disease caused by Plasmodium sp., claims the lives of over 1 million people every year, with Plasmodium falciparum causing the highest morbidity. Rapidly acquiring drug resistance is threatening to exhaust our antimalarial drug arsenal and already requires the utilization of combination drug therapy in most cases. The global need for novel antimalarial chemical scaffolds has never been greater. Screening of natural product libraries is known to have higher hit rates than synthetic chemical libraries. This elevated hit rate is somewhat attributed to the greater biodiversity available in natural products. Marine life is the most biodiverse system on the planet, containing 34 of the 36 known phyla of life, and is expected to be a rich source of novel chemotypes. In collaboration with the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Ft. Pierce we have screened a library of over 2,800 marine macroorganism peak fractions against Plasmodium falciparum using the SYBR green I fluorescence-based assay. In this screening process we have identified six compounds from five novel chemical scaffolds all of which have low micromolar to submicromolar IC50 values and excellent selectivity indices. Additionally, one of these chemical scaffolds, the bis(indolyl)imidazole, was selected for further in vitro pharmacological and structure-activity relationship (SAR) profiling, key steps in the challenging process of identifying a new antimalarial drug lead compound.

No / Four new polyhydroxylated sterols are isolated from Marine sponge Callyspongia fibrosa collected from the Gulf of Mannar, western Bay of Bengal (India). The structural assignment is based on 1H and 13C NMR spectra. All sterols are based on the known 24S-24-methyl cholesterol 1 which is also isolated, and contain 3b,6b-dihydroxy system and 25-O-acetate as common features (except in the case of sterol 6 that has a D25 in the place of 25-OAc). Additional OH substitution is also present at 5a in 4a and at 8b in 5. A further 12b-OH is present in 6 and 7. The hydroxylation pattern is so far known only in coral sterols but is without a precedent in sponge sterols. The major steroid 4a showed antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum on the chloroquine-resistant stain better than on the chloroquine-sensitive strain.

Organismos marinhos são reconhecidos como um rico reservatório de produtos naturais com estruturas moleculares excepcionais. Neste contexto, cianobactérias e fungos endofíticos emergiram como uma fonte promissora de substâncias bioativas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi buscar por substâncias biologicamente ativas a partir de linhagem de cianobactérias marinhas coletadas em Ubatuba, litoral do estado de São Paulo (Brasil) e explorar o potencial biossintético do fungo Trichoderma atroviride (endófito isolado da alga marinha Bostrychia tenella, coletada nos costões rochosos da Praia de Fortaleza, Ubatuba, SP) por meio do cultivo misto com a linhagem de cianobactéria Geitlerinema sp CENA556. Inicialmente, cinco espécies de cianobactérias marinhas foram isoladas a partir da amostra coletada no litoral de São Paulo e então caracterizadas filogeneticamente. As linhagem codificadas como Geitlerinema sp CENA552 e Geitlerinema sp CENA556 foram cultivadas em meio mimetizando água do mar e em seguida extraídas com uma mistura de CH2Cl2/ MeOH (2:1) e em seguida AcOEt. O extrato concentrado foi particionado em fração hexano e fração MeOH/H2O (95: 5). Quatro substâncias conhecidas foram identificadas a partir da fração hexânica do extrato da linhagem Geitlerinema sp CENA552 por análises de CG-EM: 2-hexil,1-decanol, 3-octadeceno, neoftadieno e palmitato de metila . A partir da fração hexânica do extrato da linhagem Geitlerinema sp CENA556, foram identificados: dodecanal, 8-heptadeceno, palmitaldeído, neoftadieno, fitol, palmitoleato de metila, 7-hexadecenoato de metila e 9-hexadecenoato de metila. Sete substâncias foram isoladas por CLAE-DAD semipreparativa a partir da fração MeOH/H2O (95: 5) do extrato da linhagem Geitlerinema sp CENA556 e identificadas por análises de espectroscopia de RMN e espectrometria de AR-EM. Entre elas, cinco nucleosídeos conhecidos isolados pela primeira vez em cianobactérias: 2\'-deoxiuridina, timidina, adenosina, 2\'-deoxiadenosina e uridina. Além disso, dois aminoácidos: D-leucina e L-fenilalanina. O fungo Trichoderma atroviride foi cultivado isoladamente em meio arroz e Czapek e os cultivos mistos entre o fungo e a cianobactéria (linhagem Geitlerinema sp CENA556) foram realizados utilizando os mesmos meios de cultura. Os extratos CH2Cl2/ MeOH (2:1) e AcOEt reunidos provenientes do cultivo misto em meio Czapeck do fungo T. atroviride e da cianobactéria Gleiterinema sp CENA556 mostrou diferença significativa na produção de metabólitos quando comparado ao extrato do fungo e da cianobactérias cultivados individualmente. Quatro sideróforos tipo catecol foram isolados da fração MeOH/H2O (95: 5) deste extrato: agrobactina, agrobactina A, fotobactina e uma substância inédita. Agrobactina, a substância majoritária, mostrou atividade antibacteriana substancial frente a P. mirabilis, E. coli, S. saprophyticus, S. aureus e P. aeruginosa. Assim, a cianobactéria brasileira estudada Geitlerinema sp CENA556 mostrou-se promissora para o isolamento de nucleosídeos com atividade biológica. Além disso, o fungo T. atroviride provou ser uma fonte prolífica de sideróforos antimicrobianos obtidos por eliciação biológica com a cyanobactéria Geitlerinema sp CENA556. / Marine organisms are recognized as a rich reservoir of natural products with exceptional molecular structures. In this context, cyanobacteria and endophytic fungi has emerged as source of promising bioactive compounds. The aim of this work was to look for biologically active compounds from the marine cyanobacteria strains, collected in Ubatuba, coast of the São Paulo state (Brazil), and to explore the biosynthetic potential of the fungus Trichoderma atroviride (endophyte isolated from marine seaweed Bostrychia tenella, collected in the rocky Shore of Praia de Fortaleza, Ubatuba, SP) by coculture with the cyanobacteria strain Geitlerinema sp CENA556. Initially, five species of marine cyanobacteria were isolated from the sample collected at the coast of São Paulo, and then characterized phylogenetically. Among them, the strains coded as Geitlerinema sp CENA552 and Geitlerinema sp CENA556 were cultured in mimicking seawater medium and extracted with a mix of CH2Cl2/ MeOH (2:1), and then EtOAc. The concentrated extract was partitioned into hexane fraction and MeOH/H2O (95: 5) fraction. Four known compounds were identified from the hexane fraction of the Geitlerinema sp CENA552 extract by GC-MS analysis: 2-hexyl-1-decanol, 3-octadecene, neophytadiene, and methyl palmitate. Similarly, the compounds dodecanal, 8-heptadecene, palmitaldehyde, neophytadiene, phytol, methyl palmitoleate, methyl 7-hexadecenoate, and methyl 9-hexadecenoate were identified from the hexane fraction of the Geitlerinema sp CENA556 extract. Starting of MeOH/H2O (95: 5) fraction of Geitlerinema sp CENA556 extract, seven compounds were isolated by semi preparative HPLC-PDA and identified by NMR spectroscopy and HR-MS analysis. Among them, five known nucleosides first isolated from cyanobacteria: 2\'-deoxyuridine, thymidine, adenosine, 2\'-deoxyadenosine, and uridine. Also two amino acids: D-leucine and L-phenylalanine. Trichoderma atroviride was grown alone in rice and Czapeck media and the coculture between the fungus and the cyanobacteria (Geitlerinema sp CENA556) were performed using the same media. The CH2Cl2/ MeOH (2:1) and EtOAc pooled extract from the coculture of the fungus T. atroviride and the cyanobacteria Gleiterinema sp CENA556 in Czapek medium shows significant difference in the metabolites production when compared to individually cultured fungus and cyanobacteria. Four catechol type siderophores were isolated from MeOH/H2O (95: 5) fraction of this extract: agrobactin, agrobactin A, photobactin and one novel compound. Agrobactin, the major compound, showed substantial antibacterial activity against P. mirabilis, E. coli, S. saprophyticus, S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. Thus, the studied brazilian cyanobacteria Geitlerinema sp appeared to be promising for isolation of nucleosides with biological activity. Furthermore, the fungus T. atroviride proved to be a prolific source of antibacterial siderophores obtained by biological elicitation with the cyanobacteria Geitlerinema sp CENA556.