ARS | Publication request: Malettinin A: a New Antifungal Tropolone from An Unidentified Fungal Colonist of Hypoxylon Stromata (Nrrl 29110)

Submitted to: Tetrahedron Letters
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: August 15, 2003
Publication Date: September 20, 2003
Citation: Angawi, R.F., Swenson, D.C., Gloer, J.B., Wicklow, D.T. 2003. Malettinin A: a new antifungal tropolone from an unidentified fungal colonist of Hypoxylon stromata (NRRL 29110). Tetrahedron Letters. 44:7593-7596.

Interpretive Summary: Fungi that parasitize and kill other fungi offer a potential source of new bioactive agents useful to agriculture and medicine. An unidentified fungus, encountered as a colonist of the persistent fruit body of the wood-decay fungus Hypoxylon, was examined for its ability to produce novel bioactive metabolites. Malettinin A is reported as a new fungal metabolite with a unique fungal structure and potent antifungal activity against Aspergillus flavus, a toxin producing fungal pathogen of corn kernels.

Technical Abstract: Malettinin A (1) has been isolated from cultures of an unidentified fungus encountered as a colonist of Hypoxylon stromata. The structure 1 was proposed by analysis of NMR and MS data, and confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis of a methanol adduct. Malettinin A shows significant activity in assays against Aspergillus flavus.