Induction of diverse secondary metabolites in Aspergillus fumigatus by microbial co-culture

Mostafa E. Rateb; Irene Hallyburton; Wael E. Houssen; Alan T. Bull; Michael Goodfellow; Rakesh Santhanam; Marcel Jaspars; Rainer Ebel

doi:10.1039/C3RA42378F

Induction of diverse secondary metabolites in Aspergillus fumigatus by microbial co-culture†

Mostafa E. Rateb,^ab Irene Hallyburton,^c Wael E. Houssen,^ad Alan T. Bull,^e Michael Goodfellow,^f Rakesh Santhanam,^f Marcel Jaspars^a and Rainer Ebel*^a

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* Corresponding authors

^a Marine Biodiscovery Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Aberdeen, Meston Walk, Scotland, UK
E-mail: r.ebel@abdn.ac.uk
Fax: +44 1224 272921
Tel: +44 1224 272930

^b Pharmacognosy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Salah Salem St., Beni-Suef, Egypt

^c Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Sir James Black Centre, Dundee, UK

^d Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Ashgrove Road West, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, Scotland, UK

^e School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK

^f School of Biology, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK

Abstract

An established culture of Aspergillus fumigatus MBC-F1-10 proved to be very receptive to external stimuli and reacted with the production of secondary metabolites which were undetectable when the fungus was grown under standard conditions. Firstly, co-cultivation with the type strain of Streptomyces bullii, an isolate from hyper-arid Atacama desert soil, led to the isolation of ergosterol 1, seven metabolites belonging to the diketopiperazine alkaloids; brevianamide F 2, spirotryprostatin A 3, 6-methoxy spirotryprostatin B 4, fumitremorgin C and its 12,13-dihydroxy derivative (5–6), fumitremorgin B 7, and verruculogen 8, in addition to 11-O-methylpseurotin A 9 and its new isomer 11-O-methylpseurotin A₂10. In an independent experiment, addition of N-butyryl-DL-homoserine lactone to the culture medium led to the production of emestrins A and B (11–12). Neither microbe produced these compounds when cultured alone. The structures of all compounds were elucidated using NMR spectroscopic techniques and mass spectrometric analysis. The isolated compounds were tested for their potential antibacterial and antiprotozoal activities.

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Induction of diverse secondary metabolites in Aspergillus fumigatus by microbial co-culture†

Abstract

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Induction of diverse secondary metabolites in Aspergillus fumigatus by microbial co-culture

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