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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Crop Bioprotection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #309957
Title: Bioactive natural products from fungicolous Hawaiian isolates: Secondary metabolites from a Phialemoniopsis sp.

Author
item KAUR, AMNINDER - University Of Iowa
item ROGERS, KRISTINA - University Of Iowa
item SWENSON, DALE - University Of Iowa
item Dowd, Patrick
item Wicklow, Donald
item GLOER, JAMES - University Of Iowa

Submitted to: Mycology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/30/2014
Publication Date: 8/15/2014
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/60588
Citation: Kaur, A., Rogers, K.D., Swenson, D.E., Dowd, P.F., Wicklow, D.T., Gloer, J. 2014. Bioactive natural products from fungicolous Hawaiian isolates: secondary metabolites from a Phialemoniopsis sp. Mycology. 5(3):120-129.

Interpretive Summary: Insects cause billions of dollars of crop loses each year, and can increases problems with molds that produce toxins in corn and other crops. Identifying renewable sources of natural products with activity against pests maybe a practical alternative to synthetic pesticides. Several compounds were isolated from culture material of a fungus that attacks wood colonizing fungi found in Hawaii. Some of these compounds had significant activity against a caterpillar pest of corn and other crops. These compounds may serve as direct control agents, or leads for new control agents of insect pests, thereby reducing insect damage and associated toxin producing molds, thereby promoting sustainable production of corn and other crops.

Technical Abstract: Chemical investigations of two fungal isolates initially identified as members of the genus Phialemonium are described. Both isolates were obtained as colonists of other fungi collected on the island of Hawaii and were later assigned as P. curvatum. However, P. curvatum has recently been reclassified as a member of a new genus (Phialemoniopsis) and renamed as Phialemoniopsis curvata. Studies of solid–substrate fermentation cultures of one of these isolates afforded an oxirapentyn analogue and destruxin A4 as major components, while analysis of the second strain led to the isolation of several simple aromatic metabolites and a compound of mixed biogenetic origin called gabusectin that had previously been reported only in a patent. Structures were assigned mainly by detailed nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry analysis, and those of two of the major components were confirmed by X-ray crystallography. This report constitutes the first description of secondary metabolites from a member of the genus Phialemoniopsis.