The present invention relates to lipopeptides having pharmaceutical activity, to methods of their isolation and production, to pharmaceutical composition and uses thereof and to cyano- bacteria from which the compounds may be isolated.

Natural products have paramount importance in the development of new pharmaceutical products. 15 out of 35 of the most important "block-buster-drugs" of the years 2000 - 2003 are directly derived from natural products or represent a modification of such natural products (Butler, M., the Role of Natural Product Chemistry in Drug Discovery, J Nat. Prod. 2004, 67, 2141-2153). Natural products occur in all fields of pharmaceutical drug production, such as anti-cancer agents, anti-infectious agents, immuno-suppressants and other therapeutics. Natural products of diverse structures are produced by microorganisms in many cases, wherein peptide antibiotics represents a large subclass of the known antibacterial and antifungal agents, that can be isolated from various prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms. Peptide antibiotics and structurally similar agents have a number of interesting biological effects. For example, some peptide antibiotics are known to be effective antifungal agents. Data from the statistics of the "National Center for Health" in the US show that the number of invasive fungal infections has continuously increased over the last years. In 1980 828 mortalities in US hospitals caused by fungal infections were registered. In 1997, the number of mortalities increased to 2370 {Arzneimitteltherapie 22. Jahrgang Heft 12 2004). The causative agent for invasive fungal infections are Candida species and Aspergillus species which are responsible for the mycoses commonly encountered in particular in those patients with an impaired immune system for example after having received an organ transplantation, during chemotherapy, or those patients having AIDS.

Presently available antifungal agents have a limited therapeutic application because of considerable side effects, development of resistance, suboptimal pharmacogenetic qualities and high costs during long-term therapies. Presently available antifungal agents can be essentially divided into eight different classes: Allylamines, benzofuranes, imidazoles, morpholines, polyenes, pyridones, pyrimidines and triazols. Their antifungal effect is based on their activity on one or several of the following: cytoplasmic membrane, nucleic acid synthesis, nuclear division, enzyme regulation and respiratory chain of the fungal organism.

A new class of antifungal agents are the echinocandins and their derivatives. A prominent member of this class is the semi-synthetic caspofungin, which is isolated from a fermentation product of the fungus Glarea lozoyensis (see Valerie Ledger-Brue et al., 2003, Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 51, 513-521). It is a derivative of pneumocandin B ₀ . Caspofungin is believed to exert its antifungal activity by inhibiting the synthesis of the fungal cell wall. It blocks the enzyme /3(l,3)-D-Glucan-synthase, β(l,3)-D-glucan being an essential component of the fungal cell wall. However, the echinocandins are known to have likewise side effects. Furthermore, they have a limited bio-availability which makes their use as pharmaceutical agents less attractive. Also, echinocandins are known to have no or very little activity against Fusarium sp., Cryptococcus neoformans and Pseudallescheria sp. i.e. they have only a limited spectrum of fungi against which they are active. Also, the echinocandins have been difficult to produce, in that they need to be isolated from fungi themselves which may be difficult to cultivate.

Accordingly, it was an object of the present invention to provide for novel antifungal agents that can be produced easily. Furthermore, it was an object of the present invention to provide for antifungal agents that have an enhanced bio-availability and that can for example be applied orally. It was also an object of the present invention to provide for antifungal agents that have a wider spectrum and are, for example, active against Fusarium sp. and Cryptococcus neoformans. Moreover, it was an object of the present invention to provide for an antifungal agent that allows the production in large quantities.

All these objects are solved by a compound of formula

cyclo[-O-Thr-Thr-Tyr-Dhb-X-Gly-(N-methyl-Thr)-Y-] Thr R ₄

R

wherein

Dhb = 2-amino-2-dehydrobutyric acid X = glutamine, glutamic acid, or ornithine

Y = glutamine, glutamic acid, or ornithine, or

N-methy

or H, wherein n = 0 - 12,

R ₂ = hexose, hexulose, pentose, sialic acid or H, in particular rhamnose, R ₃ = hexose, hexulose, pentose, sialic acid or H, in particular rhamnose, R ₄ = hexose, hexulose, pentose, sialic acid or H, in particular mannose.

This compound may alternatively also be represented by formula

Tyr ⁴

N-MeThr ⁸

wherein Dhb is as defined before, GIn ⁶ may be glutamine (as shown) or glutamic acid or ornithine, and GIn ⁹ may be glutamine, glutamic acid, ornithine or

In one embodiment each amino acid is in its D- or L —form, or, in the case of Dhb, in its E- or Z-form.

Preferably, one or several of the OH- groups and/or NH ₂ -groups may be one or several of the following: methylated, phosphorylated, glycosylated, sulfonated, acetylated and, in the case of OH-groups, modified with a -(CH ₂ ) ₂ -NH ₂ -residue, and/or wherein one or several of the NH- groups may be methylated.

hi one embodiment, 2-amino-2-dehydrobutyric acid (Dhb) has been modified such that it has the formula:

R ₅ = H ₅ Cl ₅ Br ₅ OH R ₆ -H ₅ Cl ₃ Br ₅ OH.

In one embodiment, one of the threonine residues is D-threonine, one is L-threonine, and one is D-allo-threonine, wherein X ₅ Y and N-methyl-Thr are in their D- or L-forms, and wherein Tyr is in its D-form.

In one embodiment, R ₄ is mannose,

R ₁ is , wherein n = 10,

R ₂ = rhamnose or H ₅ and R ₃ = H.

Preferably, X is GIn and Y is GIn.

The objects of the present invention are also solved by a compound having the formula

wherein "Dhb" means "2-amino-2-dehydrobutyric acid" "Man" means mannose, "MeThr" means "N-methyl-threonine", and "Dht" means "α,]8-dihydroxytetradecanoic acid".

This compound is also sometimes herein referred to as "hassallidin A".

The objects of the present invention are also solved by a compound having the formula

wherein "Dhb" means "2-amino-2-dehydrobutyric acid" "Man" means mannose ,,Rha" means rhamnose, "MeThr" means "N-methyl-threonine", and "Dht" means "a,β- dihydroxytetradecanoic acid".

This compound is herein also sometimes referred to as "hassallidin B".

It should be clear that the formulae of hassallidin A and B and the more general formula given on page 4 are clear also without the various three- and five-letter abbreviations attached to the various residues, which abbreviations merely serve the purpose of further illustrating the types of residues appearing at each occurrence.

The objects of the present invention are also solved by a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound according to the present invention, which composition, preferably additionally comprises a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

The objects of the present invention are furthermore solved by the use of a compound according to the present invention for the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of a fungal disease.

The objects of the present invention are furthermore solved by the use of a compound according to the present invention for the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of a cancerous disease.

The objects of the present invention are also solved by a method of isolating a compound according to the present invention, comprising the following steps:

- growing cyanobacterium HAS BO7, having the official DSMZ accession no. DSM 17156, or Tolypothrix sp. in culture,

- extracting the cultivated cyanobacteria with a solvent, preferably an alcoholic solvent, more preferably methanol or ethanol,

- subjecting the resulting extract to a reverse-phase chromatography on HPLC, more preferably eluting with an increasing amount of a non-polar solvent.

Preferably, the method of isolating such compound further comprises the additional step:

- identifying the compound by UV-detection at 220 nm.

The objects of the present invention are also solved by a cyanobacterium, as deposited with the DSMZ (Braunschweig, Germany, Deutsche Samrnlung fur Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen), under reference sign HAS BO7, and having the official DSMZ accession no. DSM 17156.

The objects of the present invention are also solved by the use of a compound according to the present invention for testing if a candidate compound has an anti-fungal activity.

Preferably, said use comprises the steps:

a) growing a first set of fungal cells in the presence of said compound according to the present invention b) growing a second set of fungal cells in the presence of said candidate compound c) comparing the results of a) and b), and d) identifying said candidate compound as having anti-fungal activity if said candidate compound has a similar, the same or better cytostatic or cytoxic effect on said fungal cells, with respect to said compound according to the present invention.

Preferably, step c) is performed by microscopy or transcription-array experiments.

As used herein, the term hexose is meant to encompass all aldose carbohydrates having 6 carbon atoms, such as glucose, galactose, mannose, rhamnose, N-acetylglucosamine, N- acetylgalactosamine. The term "hexulose", as used herein is meant to refer to all ketose carbohydrates having 6 carbon atoms, such as fructose, sorbose, psicose. The term "pentose" is meant to refer to carbohydrates having 5 carbon atoms, in particular for example arabinose, ribose, xylose and lyxose. The term "sialic acid", as used herein, is meant to refer to acyl- neuraminic acids. An example is N-acetyl neuraminic acid.

Unless otherwise specified, the three-letter-code for amino acids is used herein (as e.g. explained in Stryer, "Biochemistry", 3 ^rd ed., 1988, page 21, table 2-2). hi particular, the abbreviations Thr, Tyr, GIn, and GIy are meant to designate the amino acids threonine, tyrosine, glutamine and glycine. The term N-methyl-Thr (or MeThr) is meant to designate the amino acid N-methyl-threonine. However, it should be noted that GIn, at places specifically indicated, may also mean glutamic acid, ornithine or a glutamine wherein the main chain car- bonyl-group has been reduced to -CH ₂ , i.e.

The abbreviations "Man" and "Rha" designate the carbohydrates "mannose" and "rhamnose", respectively.

"Dht", as used herein, is meant to designate α,j8-dihydroxytetradecanoic acid. As outlined above, residues "X" and "Y" in the general formula of claim 1, but also in the positions 6 (GIn ⁶ ) and 9 (GIn ⁹ ) of the more specific formula thereafter (or in the positions 7 and 10 in the formulae showing hassallidin A and B) can be independently either glutamine, glutamic acid or ornithine. Someone skilled in the art of organic synthesis knows how to convert one amino acid into the other by appropriate amidation (Glu→ Gm) and/or reduction (Glu→ ornithine). Moreover Y may be

The term glycosylated", as used herein, is meant to designate the formation of a glycosidic bond between a carbohydrate and a second molecule, for example a peptide. The carbohydrate may be a sugar but also an acid, such as N-acyl neuraminic acids etc. (sialic acids).

As outlined before, also the 2-amino-2-dehydrobutyric acid (Dhb) may have been modified such that it has residues added to its double bond, such that, in effect, the double bond vanishes and becomes fully saturated. Furthermore, it is also possible that the lactone of the cyclic peptide of the compounds according to the present invention is reduced from a lactone to an ether, wherein, in effect, the carbonyl group of residue no. 9, (which may be glutamine, glutamate or ornithine) has been reduced, thus effectively making an ether.

It should also be clear that a pharmaceutical composition according to the present invention may, in addition to the compound according to the present invention, also comprise other pharmaceutical ingredients, such as other anti-fungal agents, but also for example antiinflammatory agents. Moreover, a pharmaceutical composition according to the present invention may comprise more than just one type of compound according to the present invention. More specifically, in such pharmaceutical compositions, the compound(s) according to the present invention may be combined with polyenes and/or azoles. For example, they may be combined with amphotericin B and/or clotrimazole. Other combinations are possible with allylamines, benzofuranes, imidazoles, morpholines, pyridones, pyrimidines and triazols.

The present inventors have isolated a new class of lipopeptides, preferably glycosylated lipopeptides, which, surprisingly, show pharmaceutical activity, m particular, the compounds according to the present invention have a broad antifungal activity and an activity against cancerous cells.

Although the inventors have isolated the compounds according to the present invention from a naturally occurring cyanobacterium which has also been deposited with the DSMZ, Braunschweig, Germany under the reference sign HAS BO7 on February 22, 2005, the compounds according to the present invention can also be synthesized easily by someone skilled in the art knowing the structural formula provided by the present inventors. Such syntheses of cyclic lipopeptides and glycosilated cyclic lipopeptides have for example been described in A. Gu W, Silverman RB.. J Org Chem. 2003 Nov 14; 68(23):8774-9; Rew Y, Shin D, Hwang I, Boger DL, JAm Chem Soc. 2004 Feb 4; 126(4):1041-3; Klein LL, Li L, Chen HJ, Curty CB, DeGoey DA, Grampovnik DJ, Leone CL, Thomas SA, Yeung CM, Funk KW, Kishore V, Lundell EO, Wodka D, Meulbroek JA, Alder JD, Nilius AM, Lartey PA, Plattner JJ, Bioorg Med Chem. 2000 Jul;8(7): 1677-96; and Chen J, Forsyth CJ, Proc Natl Acad Sd USA. 2004 Aug 17;101(33):12067-72.

Furthermore, if there are possible stereoisomers, the various possible configurations can be synthesized using combinatorial chemistry as commonly practiced in many organic synthesis labs and as for example described in Moitessier N, Dufour S, Chretien F, Thiery JP, Maigret B, Chapleur Y, Design, synthesis and preliminary biological evaluation of a focused combinatorial library of stereodiverse carbohydrate-scaffold-based peptidomimetics, Bioorg Med Chem. 2001 Feb;9(2):511-23;

Okamoto N, Hara O, Makino K, Hamada Y, Diastereoselective synthesis of all stereoisomers of beta-methoxytyrosine, a component of papuamides, J Org Chem. 2002 Dec 27;67(26):9210-5;

Moerman MC, Anteunis MJ, Partial synthesis of five new analogues of the peptido-lactone Virginiamycine Sl, modified in the fifth and/or sixth position ([Xxx5]-VSl with Xxx = Ala, Asp, Asn and Lys and [Ala5,Gly6]-VSl), Int J Pept Protein Res. 1993 Feb;41(2):102-17; and

Yanai M, Hiramoto S, First total synthesis of N-4909 and its diastereomer; a stimulant of apolipoprotein E secretion in human hepatoma Hep G2 cells, J Antibiot (Tokyo). 1999 Feb;52(2): 150-9. Hence, by providing the formula of the compounds according to the present invention, someone skilled in the art has sufficient information to produce these compounds based on his knowledge of the art of organic synthesis.

In general, peptide sequences can be easily synthesized by standard solid-phase Fmoc chemistry and the crude peptides are cyclized using dimethylsulfoxide, as e.g. described in McBride, J.D., Freeman, N., Domingo, GJ. & Leatherbarrow, RJ. (1996) Selection of chymotrypsin inhibitors from a conformationally-constrained combinatorial peptide library. J. MoI. Biol. 259, 819-827.

Series of derivatives of cyclic peptides in which e.g. amino acid residues are replaced can be rapidly synthesized and evaluated, as e.g. described in Zambias, R.A., Hammond, M.L., Heck, J.V., Bartizal, K., Trainor, C, Abruzzo, G., Schmatz, D.M., Nollstadt, K.M. (1992) Preparation and structure-activity relationships of simplified analogues of the antifungal agent ciclofungin: a total synthesis approach. J.Med.Chem. 35:2843-2855.

The rapid synthesis and evaluation of large pools of peptide derivatives is possible using methods of solid-phase synthesis and combinatorial chemistry. Synthetic (cyclic) peptide combinatorial libraries (SPCLs), each composed of tens of millions of peptides, can be used for the rapid screening of bioactive peptides, as e.g. described in Pinilla, C, Appel, J.R., Houghten, R.A. (1993) Synthetic peptide combinatorial libraries (SPCLs): identification of

antigenic determinant of beta-endorphin recognized by monoclonal antibody 3E7. Gene, 128:71-76.

Both side-chain modification (glycosylation and acylation) of the cyclic peptide backbone can be performed chemically and/or enzymatically, as e.g. described in Debono M, Abbott BJ, Molloy RM, Fukuda DS, Hunt AH, Daupert VM, Counter FT, Ott JL, Carrell CB, Howard LC, et al, Enzymatic and chemical modifications of lipopeptide antibiotic A21978C: the synthesis and evaluation of daptomycin (LY146032), J Antibiot (Tokyo). 1988 Aug;41(8): 1093- 105;

Debono M, Abbott BJ, Fukuda DS, Barnhart M, Willard KE, Molloy RM, Michel KH, Turner JR, Butler TF, Hunt AH, Synthesis of new analogs of echinocandin B by enzymatic deacyla- tion and chemical reacylation of the echinocandin B peptide: synthesis of the antifungal agent cilofungin (LY121019), J Antibiot (Tokyo). 1989 Mar;42(3):389-97;

Nakahara Y, Iijima H, Shibayama S, Ogawa T, Stereoselective total synthesis of glycopep- tides bearing the dimeric and trimeric sialosyl-Tn epitope, Carbohydr Res. 1991 Sep 2;216:211-25;

Furstner A, Jeanjean F, Razon P, Wirtz C, Mynott R, Total synthesis of woodrosin I—part 1 : preparation of the building blocks and evaluation of the glycosylation strategy, Chemistry. 2003 Jan 3;9(l):307-19; and

Yuan Y, Men H, Lee C, Total synthesis of kendomycin: a macro-C-glycosidation approach, J Am Chem Soc. 2004 Nov 17;126(45):14720-l.

Lane JW, Halcomb RL, Stereoselective synthesis of conformationally constrained glycosylated amino acids using an enzyme-catalyzed desymmetrization, J Org Chem. 2003 Feb 21;68(4): 1348-57.

The present inventors have identified lipopeptides which have an activity against numerous fungi, against which echinocandins were not active. More specifically, the compounds according to the present invention are active against Aspergillus and Candida and Fusarium species, amongst others. Furthermore, due to the presence of two additional hydroxy groups and/or various carbohydrates in the molecule, the compounds according to the present invention are more hydrophilic than the echinocandins and therefore may have a higher bioavailability. This makes the compounds according to the present invention more suitable for oral application. Additionally, the compounds according to the present invention can for example be isolated from known cyanobacteria

These cyanobacteria are easy to cultivate in large quantities. Hence the compounds according to the present invention are cheap in their production. All the aforementioned advantages were not to be expected, and, therefore, make the compounds according to the present invention prime candidates, particularly suitable for pharmaceutical applications.

One of the members of this new class of compounds, hassallidin A (1) (shown below), a glycosylated lipopeptide, was isolated from an epilithic cyanobacterium collected in Bellano, Italy identified as Tolypothrix (basionym Hassallia) species, Hassallia sp. B07 applicant's reference sign (HAS BO7). This cyanobacterium has been deposited by the applicants with the Deutsche Sammlung fur Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen (DSMZ) in Braunschweig, Germany, under the applicant's reference sign HAS BO7 on February 22, 2005, and it has received the official DSMZ accession no. DSM 17156. The compounds according to the present invention may however also be isolated from other publicly available cyanobacteria strains, in particular Tolypothrix strains, as outlined further below.

Chemical, mass spectrometric and spectroscopic analyses, including one- and two- dimensional NMR, were performed to determine an esterified 8 residue cyclic peptide linked with a carbohydrate and a fatty acid residue. Chiral GC-MS analysis revealed the occurrence of the non-proteinogenic amino acids D-α//ø-Thr, D-Thr, D-Tyr, D-GIn and dehydroarninobu- tyric acid (Dhb) within the peptide moiety. The additional components of hassallidin A could be identified as α.jS-dihydroxytetradecanoic acid (Dht) and mannose. The compounds according to the present invention, as exemplified by hassallidins A and B, exhibit antifungal activity against Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida albicans and other fungi with MIC values of 2- 16 μg/mL for these test organisms.

Man

1 kassallidin A

In the following reference is made to the figures, wherein

fig. 1 shows ¹ H- ¹⁵ N-HSQC of hassallidin A in d ₆ -DMSO at 600 MHz. Eight correlations from amino protons to the directly attached nitrogen are visible, labeled according to the amino acid, hi addition, the NH ₂ groups of the two glutamines yield four signals.

figure 2 shows ¹ H- ¹³ C-DEPT-HMQC of hassallidin A in d _ό -DMSO at 600 MHz. Correlations from all protons directly attached to carbon are visible, those of methylene groups are negative and displayed in gray, hi the region of the aromatic resonances (> 110 ppm), the correlation of the tyrosine ring and the β-position of dehydroarninobutyric acid are visible. The anomeric carbon (Cl) of the mannose is clearly visible at 96 ppm,

figure 3 shows a region of the ¹ H- ¹³ C-HMBC (a) and the ¹ H- ¹³ C-HMQC (b) of hassallidin A in d ₆ -DMSO at 600 MHz. In the HMBC correlations of the Hl -proton within the mannose (anomeric proton) via ² J _H c (reaching C2) and ³ J _H c (reaching C3 and C5) are visible. In addi-

tion the correlation to the Cβ of MeThr9 proves the attachment of the mannose to the side chain of MeThr9 via its anomeric position,

figure 4 shows a region of the ¹ H- ¹³ C-HMBC of hassallidin A in d ₆ -DMSO at 600 MHz. Correlations of the side chain carbonyl carbons of the two glutamines are visible as well as those of the carbonyl of the fatty acid (Dhtl). The latter shows correlation to the OH and the proton attached to the second carbon atom in the fatty acid chain. More importantly, a correlation to the amino proton of Thr2 is visible, proving the attachment of Dhtl to the nitrogen of Thr2, and

figure 5 shows the fingerprint region from the NOESY of hassallidin A in d ₆ -DMSO at 600 MHz. Correlations from the amino protons to the H ^α protons are visible. Intraresidue correlations are marked with rectangles. The dotted lines indicate the "sequential walk" linking the individual amino acids together. Two links are not depicted (Dhb6 to Gln7 and Gly8 to MeThr9) since the relevant correlations are outside of the spectral region shown here.

fig. 6 shows the differences in absorbance (to _h -t _241l ) of resazurin metabolised by L 929 cells, at different concentrations of hassallidin A and B, and Na ₂ SeO ₃ .

Figure 7 A and B show optically microscopy images of Aspargillus niger growth in the absence (A) and presence (B) of 2 μg/ml Hassallidin A at a magnification of 40 x 10.

Figure 8 shows the cell growth of Candida albicans with no fungicide present (8 A and 8B), 0,125 μg/ml caspofungin (8C and 8D) and 1,6 μg/ml Hassallidin A (8E and 8F) at magnification 16 x 10 and 100 x 10.

Figures 9A, B and C show electron microscopy images of Candida albicans grown in the presence of 4 and 8 μg/ml Hassallidin A (HA). Unless otherwise indicated, the concentration of Hassallidin A was 4 μg/ml; where it was 8 μg/ml, this explicitly indicated. Arrows show regions of interest.

The following examples are given to illustrate the invention, not to limit the same.

Examples 1. Isolation

The investigated cyanobacterial species was isolated in 2002 from epilithic cyanobacteria collected in Orrido Clough, Bellano, Italy and identified as Hassallia sp. according to Geit- ler's characterization and taxonomy scheme. ⁸ Hassallia sp. B07 This cyanobacterium has been deposited with the DSMZ, Braunschweig, Germany, under the applicant's reference HAS B07 on February 22, 2005. It has received the official DSMZ accession no. DSM 17156. The compounds can, however, also be isolated from other Tolypothrix species publicly available, such as the following exemplary Tolypothrix strains, using essentially the same isolation protocol. Exemplary Tolypothrix strains are those strains deposited with the American Type Culture Collection as ATCC 20335, ATCC 27914, ATTC 29157, ATTC 29158, or those deposited with the Pasteur Culture Collection under the numbers PCC 6305, PCC 6601, PCC 7101, PCC 7415, PCC 7504, PCC 7601, PCC 7601/1, PCC 7708, PCC 7710, PCC 7712, PCC 7908, PCC 7910, PCC 9009.

Cells were grown for 30 days in modified BG-11 medium according to Welker ⁹ at 20 °C in 20 L flasks and were continuously illuminated and aerated. After filtration and lyophilisation, 4.3 g of dry material were obtained. The freeze-dried material was treated with MeOH to extract the active compound from the cyanobacterial biomass. After evaporation of solvent, the residue was eluted from a solid-phase extraction cartridge in preparation for an HPLC. The biologically active fractions, collected on eight reversed-phase HPLC runs with an H ₂ CVMeCN gradient, were combined to yield 2.4 mg of hassallidin A (1). The new compound, hassallidin A (1), was isolated as a white amorphous powder. High-resolution elec- trospray Fourier transform ion cyclotron mass spectrometry (ESI-FTICR-MS) of hassallidin A revealed a quasi-molecular ion [M+Na] ⁺ at m/z 1404.67572 consistent with the calculated molecular formula of [C ₆₂ Hg _P N ₁₁ O ₂₄ Na] ⁺ , (requires m/z 1404. 67618, relative mass error A _m — 0.33 ppm). The signals from the UV spectrum detected at X _n13x 226 nm (e 5500), 278 nm (e 880) and 265 nm (e 700) predicted the occurrence of possible aromatic amino acid residues within the hassallidin A structure. The IR spectrum showed a strong absorption at 1740 cm ^"1 , predicting the presence of an ester group (lactone) within the molecular structure as well.

Amino acid analysis and quantification by enantiomer labeling of the total hydro lysate and chiral gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) gave the following relative molar concentrations: D-Tyr (1.00 ref), D-Thr (0.96), L-Thr (0.88), D-α//o-Thr (1.46), N-MeThr (1.01), D-GIu (0.82), L-GIu (0.90), GIy (1.02), and dehydroaminobutyric acid (Dhb) (one residue). Sugar analysis by GC-MS of the trimethylsilyl (TMS)-methylglycoside produced by acid hydrolyses and derivatisation revealed the presence of only mannose. Additionally, by GC-MS analysis the fatty acid was identified as dihydroxytetradecanoic acid (Dht) by commparison of its native mass with that of the corresponding TMS-methyl derivative. The a- and β-position of the two hydroxy-groups were determined by two-dimensional NMR experiments.

2. NMR-spectroscopy

NMR spectroscopy was used to determine the constitution and arrangement of the individual "building blocks" independent from other methods. While a linear peptide of the size of hassallidin A would exhibit proton shifts near the random coil values, the good dispersion of the signals in the spectrum is in accordance with a cyclic peptide.

The analysis of the NMR data began with a comparison of the one-dimensional ¹ H- spectrum with a set of heteronuclear spectra. An ¹ H- ¹⁵ N-correlation spectrum ( ¹⁵ N-HSQC) showed eight signals from secondary amide protons and two pairs of signals from primary amide groups (Figure 1). An ¹ H- ¹³ C-correlation spectrum ( ¹³ C- DEPT-HMQC, Figure 2) showed three signals in the range between 6 ppm and 10 ppm as the only carbon-bound protons in that region. The integral of the broad proton signals around 9.17 ppm indicated two protons close to each other. Only the signal at 9.18 ppm was found in the ¹ H- ¹⁵ N-COrTeIaIiOn. The signal at 9.16 ppm therefore indicated a proton neither bound to ¹⁵ N nor to ¹³ C, most likely an OH at the aromatic ring of tyrosine.

Further analysis of the carbon bound protons was based on the HMQC and in addition on a DEPT-HMQC and an HQQC. The latter showed only signals from methyl groups while the former indicated the different multiplicities of the carbon spectra by an inverted sign for methylene groups. Seven methyl groups could be detected, one of them at chemical shifts of 2.99 ppm ( ¹ H) and 30.64 ppm ( ¹³ C), which are typical values for N-methyl groups. In addition 18 CH groups were found, one with a chemical shift of 95.95 ppm, typical for anomeric

signals of hexose moieties. The remaining 11 signals were from CH ₂ groups. Some of those signals, however, clearly represented more than one carbon atom. In particular, the region between 1.15 ppm and 1.5 ppm ( ¹ H chemical shift) showed five CH ₂ and one CH ₃ group (see insert in Figure 2). The integration of the one-dimensional spectrum, however, indicated the presence of 23 protons. The strong peak at 1.23 ppm/28.75 ppm thus had to contain six CH ₂ groups, which was confirmed by inspecting a one-dimensional carbon spectrum. Since no individual assignment is possible all carbon are given with the same chemical shift in Table 1. Several signals from the one-dimensional ¹ H spectrum had no corresponding signals in the HMQC and were thus most likely OH protons, since no exchange broadening was observable.

The next step of the identification of individual residues in hassallidin A focused on pro- teinogenic amino acids. The analysis was initially based on heteronuclear spectra: The HMQC was combined with an HMQC-COSY and HMQC-TOCSYs with different mixing times as well as an HMBC. The results obtained from those spectra were subsequently confirmed by using homonuclear spectra, in particular a DQF-COSY and TOCSY spectra of several mixing times. Based on those spectra, the following amino acids could be identified: glycine, tyrosine, two glutamines, and three threonines. Additional signals typical for another threonine were also found, but the amino proton was lacking. A correlation of the methyl group at 2.99/30.64 ppm ( ¹ HZ ¹³ C) to the C ^α of that threonine in the HMBC confirmed that the fourth threonine was methylated at the nitrogen. Two of the threonines did not show signals of OH protons. Since all other OH protons were visible, these two threonine side chain were most likely chemically modified.

The next step was the assignment of the remaining resonances to moieties other than pro- teinogenic amino acids. The spectra indicated that the signal at 6.41/130.12 ppm ( ¹ HZ ¹³ C) was coupled to one of the methyl groups, because no other protons seemed to belong to the same spin system. Based on correlations found in the HMBC, the signals could be linked to the amino proton at 9.18 ppm that did not show any correlation in homonuclear spectra and to a further, quaternary carbon at 129.72 ppm. In conjunction, the signals added up to a dehy- droaminobutyric acid residue (Dhb), which could subsequently be confirmed in a homonuclear NOESY spectrum. Since this spectrum showed a correlation from the amino proton to the methyl group but not to the olefinic proton, Dhb had to be in Z-confϊguration.

Resonances in the region between 60 and 75 ppm in the ¹³ C NMR spectrum and around 3.5 ppm in the ¹ H NMR spectrum were all identified as signals from a hexose moiety. Correlations to the resonance at 95.95 ppm in carbon were also found. The type of hexose could not

be determined from NMR spectra. All protons of the hexose showed correlations to OH protons in the HMQC-COSY spectrum except for the anomeric carbon. This indicated that the hexose is linked to the peptide via its anomeric carbon. Figure 3 shows a region of the HMBC. The proton attached to the anomeric carbon of the hexose (Hl ^Man ) showed a correlation to the CjS of Thr9 in the HMBC, thus confirming the link of the hexose to the threonine that was previously identified as an iV-methylated threonine.

Two correlations in the HMQC, at 3.81/73.05 ppm ( ¹ HZ ¹³ C) and 3.65/71.09 ppm ( ¹ HZ ¹³ C), showed correlations to OH protons and a coupling between each other in the HMQC-COSY. The signal at 3.65/71.09 ppm ( ¹ HZ ¹³ C) showed a correlation to the bulk of CH ₂ groups around 1.3 ppm. HMQC-TOCSY and HMBC spectra exhibited many correlations within these carbons and to the methyl group at 0.84Z13.65 ppm ( ¹ HZ ¹³ C). Altogether this indicated the presence of a long chain of 13 protonated carbon atoms, the first two having an OH group attached, the final one being a methyl group. Figure 4 shows a region of the HMBC with correlations from the proton attached to the first carbon of that long chain, the OH attached to it and the amino proton of Thr2 all attached to the same carbonyl carbon at 176.5 ppm. This indicates that the carbonyl carbon is the first carbon in a C ₁₄ , α,/3-dihydroxytetradecanoic acid chain (Dht) that is attached to the nitrogen of the first threonine in the chain.

Since the HMBC did not show enough correlations from amino protons to carbonyl carbons, the amino acid sequence was established based on sequence specific assignment using NOESY and TOCSY spectra. Intraresidue peaks in the NOESY were identified by comparison with the TOCSY spectrum. Then a "sequential walk" was performed as shown in Figure 5. Correlations between amino protons and both H ^α and H ¹³ protons confirmed the sequential connectivities. Partial sequences could thus be established: the first was Thr-Thr-Thr-Tyr- Dhb, the second Gln-Gly and the third MeThr-Gln. Between the three chains, the missing H ^α in Dhb and the missing amino proton in MeThr prevented use of the conventional strategy. Sequential correlations between amino proton of Ghi7 and the H ^p proton of Dhb as well as the N-methyl group of MeThr9 and the H ^α protons of Gly8, however, closed the two gaps. A sequence Thr-Thr-Thr-Tyr-Dhb-Gln-Gly-MeThr-Gm could therefore be established.

The remaining question was the missing OH proton of Thr3. Since the peptide is obviously cyclised via a lactonic bond, a cyclization via the side chain of Thr3 is likely. A complete list of all ¹ H, ¹³ C and ¹⁵ N chemical shifts and the assignment of hassallidin A is given in Table 1.

Table 1. ¹ H and ¹³ C/ ¹⁵ N NMR data for hassallidin A in d ₆ -DMSO component position δ _H (ppm) δc/N (ppm)

Dht-1 14 0.84 13.64

13 1.25 21.80

12 1.23 30.96

W 1.23 28.75

10" 1.23 28.75

9 ^a 1.23 28.75

8° 1.23 28.75

T 1.23 28.75

6" 1.23 28.75

5 1.35/1.22 25.11

4 1.42 32.41

3 3.65 71.11

2 3.81 73.47

2-OH 5.49

3-OH 4.38

CO 176.50

Thr-2 HN 7.62 108.67 α 4.33 56.93 β 4.11 66.09 γ 1.03 19.48

OH 5.12

CO 169.88

Thr-3 HN 7.98 111.33 α 4.54 54.77 β 4.91 70.64 γ 1.11 15.47

CO n.d.

Thr-4 HN 7.78 117.09 α 4.21 58.28 β 3.95 66.56

Y 1.09 20.08

OH 5.20

CO n.d.

Tyr-5 HN 8.64 125.58 α 4.37 55.24 β 2.90/2.83 35.50

1 126.96

2/6 7.02 130.12

3/5 6.63 115.00

4 155.92

OH 9.16

CO 170.22

Dhb-6 HN 9.18 120.60 α 129.72 β 6.41 129.65 γ 1.23 12.41

CO 163.37

Gln-7 HN 8.10 119.11 α 3.94 52.41 β 1.97/1.90 25.78 γ 2.13 31.03

CO n.d. γ-CO 174.49

NH ₂ 7.31/6.80 109.72

Gly-8 HN 8.40 107.41 α 4.11/3.93 40.37

CO 169.88

MeThr-9 NCH ₃ 2.99 30.64 α 4.79 59.96 β 4.23 67.10 γ 1.08 14.79

CO n.d.

Man 1 4.77 95.95

2 3.52 70.34

3 3.36 70.47

4 3.43 66.16

5 3.34 73.84

6 3.45/3.58 60.57

2-OH 4.67

3-OH 4.49

4-OH 4.62

6-OH 4.24

Gln-10 HN 7.83 113.36 α 4.38 52.54 β 1.87 28.07 γ 2.08/2.13 31.03

CO n.d γ-CO 174.22

NH ₂ 7.30/6.86 109.73

" Due to overlap in the NMR, spectra cannot be individually assigned

3. Mass spectrometry

Deduced data of the hassallidin A constitution obtained by NMR and acid hydrolysis were confirmed by MALDI-TOF post-source decay (PSD) and ESI-MS ⁽ⁿ⁾ experiments. The reflector mode MALDI-TOF mass spectrum performed with delayed extraction (DE) showed a positive ion signal at m/z 1404.8, identified as a sodium-ion associated monoisotopic peak [M+Na] ⁺ of hassallidin A. In addition there was a second significant mass signal at m/z 1220.7 in the reflector mode, corresponding to a protonated mass signal of hassallidin A without mannose (mass loss of m/z 162). Additional signals in the reflector mode during analysis of glycopeptides are caused by a rapid formation of ions within the ion source, which is known as in-source decay (ISD). ¹⁰ Influenced by different parameters, like matrix, compound residues, and the use of delayed extraction, ¹¹ ISD fragments can often be observed in the same spectrum when recorded with delayed extraction TOF instruments operated in the reflector mode. By the use of the ISD ion as precursor ion, in the PSD mode, subsequence information of the lipopeptide moiety confirmed the predicted amino acid sequence of the

NMR experiments. Interpretations of fragment mass signals are listed in Table 2. By using the collision cell in the low mass range of the PSD mode, immonium ions ( ¹ TMH ₂ =CH-R) were released to provide further information about the present amino acids. Immonium ion signals (rel. int. %) for Thr m/z 74 (14), MeThr m/z 88 (20), GIn m/z 101 (13), GIy m/z 30 (2), Tyr m/z 136 (4), and Dhb m/z 56 (6) were detected.

Table 2. MALDI-TC)F-PSD fragment-ions of the hassallidin A lipopeptide moiety ion composition (m/z)/mt.(%)

M - [m/z 243 (DM)] 977/ (2)

M - [m/z 243 (Dht)-m/z 101 (Thr)] 876/ (8)

M - [m/z 128 (GIn)] 1092/ (11)

M - [m/z 128 (Gln)-m/z 57 (GIy)] 1035/ (5)

M - [m/z 128 (Gln)-m/z 57 (Gly)-m/z 115 (MeThr)] 920/ (33)

M - [m/z 128 (G]n)-m/z 57 (Gly)-m/z 115 (MeThr)-m/z 128 (Gm)] 792/ (7)

M - [m/z 83 (Ohb)-m/z 128 (G]ή)-m/z 57 (Gly)-m/z 115 (MeThr)-m/z709/ (2) 128 (GIn)]

M - [m/z 163 (Tyr)-m/z 83 (Dhb)-m/z 128 (Gln)-m/z 57 (Gly)-?n/z 115546/ (3) (MeThr)-m/z 128 (GIn)]

M - [m/z 101 (Thr)-m/z 163 (Tyr)-rø/z 83 (Dhb)-7«/z 128 (G\ή)-m/z 57445/ (6) (Gly)-m/z 115 (MeThr)-/w/z 128 (GIn)]

[m/z 57 (Gly)-m/z 115 (MeThr)+H] ⁺ 173/ (33)

[m/z 83 (Dhb)-7w/z 128 (Gln)+H] ⁺ 212/ (4)

[m/z 57 (Gly)-m/z 115 (MeThr)-m/z 128 (Gln)+H] ⁺ 301/ (48)

[m/z 57 (Gly)-m/z 115 (MeThr)-w/zl28 (Gln)-/w/z 83 (Dhb)+H] ⁺ 384/ (38)

[m/z 128 (Gln)-m/z 57 (Gly)-m/z 115 (MeThr)-m/z 128 (Gln)+H] ⁺ 429/ (21) ^b M = [m/z 1381+H] ⁺ -mannose [m/z 162] = [m/z 1219+H] ⁺

Fragmentation patterns of the protonated monoisotopic peak at m/z 1382 for hassallidin A were also studied using ESI-MS/MS experiments. Formation of one first-generation fragment ion was accompanied by a loss of m/z 162 for mannose to result in a mass signal of m/z YΩS). The following daughter-fragment ion series of the first generation ion M were detected and interpreted as: m/z 1092: M - [m/z 128 (GIn)], m/z 920: M - [m/z 128 (Ghή-m/z 57 (Gly)-w/z 115 (MeThr)] and m/z 792: M - [m/z 128 (Glή)-m/z 57 (Gly)-m/z 115 (MeThr)-rø/z 128 (GIn)].

4. Antifungal activity

The antifungal activity of the compounds according to the present invention, in particular hassallidin A and hassallidin B, was verified for Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida albicans by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) data in a serial dilution test. For each fungus six testing wells of a microtiter plate were prepared with 240 μL medium (Sigma RPMI- 1640), 10 μL inoculum suspension and 50 μL fungicide solution (50% MeOH) of different concentrations. Inoculum preparation was carried out by guideline of NCCLS. ²⁵ The fungicide solution preparation took place in a series of twofold dilutions from a stock solution of 92 μg/mL starting with 4.6 μg/50 μL down to 0.14 μg/50 μL. One well was prepared without antifungal agent for unhindered growth as control. The microtiter plates were incubated for Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus at 35 °C for 24 h and 48 h, respectively. Tests were run in triplicates. Inhibition of growth was assessed by comparing the fungal growth of the test samples with the control well by determination of optical density at 595 nm in a microplate reader. The concentration of the well at highest dilution that was still free from growth was assigned the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC in μg/mL). MIC values for hassallidin A and hassallidin B against Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus were found to be 4.8 μg/mL for both test organisms, using RPMI- 1640 medium. Hassallidin A and hassallidin B also shows precise antifungal activity when tested in disk diffusion assays (10 μg in 30 μL 50% MeOH per disk) on malt agar plates against Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Ustilago maydis, Penicillium sp., Fusarium sambucium, Candida albicans, and Candida glabrata. No activities were observed by using Bacillus subtilis, Streptomyces versicolor or Escherchia coli in disk diffusion assays on LB-agar plates with 10 μg hassallidin A in 30 μL 50% MeOH per disk.

More specifically, a determination of inhibitory concentration (IC) of hassallidin A and hassallidin B for various fungi, Candida species and Candida strains were performed with different media (RPMI- 1640 or SAB or AM3) in a microdilution assay by following the guidelines in NCCLS documents M38-P ²⁵ and M27-A2 ²⁶ carried out as follows ¹

Each substance was dissolved with 100% dimethyl sulfoxide (Serva, Heidelberg, Germany) to give a stock solution of 3.2 mg/ml followed by nine Iog2 dilution steps with the solvent.

This served as a 100-fold concentrated dilution series ranging from 1.6 mg/ml to 0.003 mg/ml of the test substance. The final concentration of the test substance was 16 μg/ml to 0.031 μg/ml.

Therefore the 100-fold concentrated dilution series (with 100% DMSO) was diluted to the final concentration by two dilution steps:

(1) Each concentration of the 100-fold concentrated substance was diluted with test medium for 1:50 (for ex.: adding of 13 μl of the test substance to 637 μl test medium).

(2) 100 μl of each 1 :50 diluted concentration was filled in a row of wells of a microtitre plate. One well was without the substance but with the 1:50 diluted solvent serving as growth control.

A further 1:2 dilution of the antifungal was made by the inoculation of each well with 100 μl of the test organism, which was suspended in the test medium. The remaining well of the row was used for sterility control of the medium. The inoculum was strictly prepared according the NCCLS ²⁵ guidelines, resulting in 0.5- 2.5x10 ³

CFU's/ml for Candida-species and Cryptococcus neoformans. For hyphomycetes CFU's were tenfold higher (see NCCLS). ²⁶

The growth of the hyphomycetes respectively the inhibition was measured by visual reading with the help of a reading mirror; scoring was done according to NCCLS: ²⁶ score 0 corresponds to a optical clear well or an IC ₉₅ or higher, score 1 corresponds to an inhibition of 80 percent (ICs ₀ ) and the score 2 of the NCCLS definition corresponds to the IC ₅₀ values in the tables. The growth of the yeasts was measured spectrophotometrically by a microplate reader (MR 5000, Dynatech laboratories) at 630 nm displaying the optical density (OD). The percent inhibition IC ₅₀ , ICso or IC ₉₅ (corresponding the scores of 2, 1 and 0) was calculated by the following formula:

100 - [ (OD of the well - OD of the medium)] x 100

(OD of the growth control - OD of the medium).

Table 3. Test series for determining IC values of hassallidin A and B in different media using Candida albicans and Candida krusei. The IC values were measured after 24 h and 48 h at 35 °C.

HA A = Hassallidin A HA B = Hassallidin B ATCC 6258 (QC) = Quality control strain (Candida krusei)

SC 5314 = Candida albicans

RPMI, SAB, AM3 = media (composition, see "6. General Experimental Section") n.d. = not determined

Table 4. Further test series, IC values for hassallidin A in RPMI- 1640 medium were determined for various fungi, Candida species and Candida strains. The IC values were measured after 24 h and 48 h at 30 °C and 35 ⁰ C.

ATCC 6258 (QC) = Quality control strain {Candida krusei)

5. Activity against cancerous cells

Furthermore, the compounds according to the present invention were tested in relation to their activity against cancer cell lines. They were tested for cytotoxicity by determining the IC ₅₀ - values. The IC ₅₀ -value was determined by the procedure described in Filip P, Anke T, Sterner O, 5-(2'-oxoheptadecyl)-resorcinol and 5-(2'-oxononadecyl)-resorcinol, cytotoxic metabolites from a wood-inhabiting basidiomycete, ZNaturforsch [C]. 2002 Nov-Dec;57(l 1-12): 1004-8. Sample preparation was carried out as follows:

1st test

The compound (hassalidin B) (20 μg) was dissolved in 4 μl DMSO and 16 μl H ₂ O to give a concentration of 1 mg/ml. 1 μl of this solution and 0,5 μl of this solution were used to inoculate 200 μl culture medium each, thus making up a concentration of hassallidin B of 5μg/ml and 2,5 μ/ml, respectively. Thereafter 68 μl H ₂ O were added to 17 μl of the solution of 1 mg/ml hassalidin B to give a concentration of 200 μg/ml, and again 1 μl and 0,5 μl of this solution were used to inoculate 200 μl of culture medium each thus making up a final concentration of hassallidin B of 1 μg/ml and 0,5 μg/ml, respectively. The 200μg/ml solution was diluted l:5-fold with H ₂ O to give a concentration of 40 μg/ml, and again 1 μl and 0,5 μl were used in 200 μl culture medium each, thus making up a concentration of 0,2

μg/ml and 0,1 μg/ml, respectively. AU concentrations were performed in duplicates.

Cell viability of cell growing was measured by the XTT test (Boehringer, Mannheim/Roche) as discribed in the product information.

Using the Jurkat ATCC-TIB-152 (human acute T cell leukemia) celline an IC ₅₀ - value of 0.2 μg/ml could be determined.

Table 5. IC values of hassallidin B using Jurkat ATCC-TIB-152 celline

+ = > 80% bleak cells +/- = 30-80% bleak cells - = no cytotoxic effect

2 ^nd test

Cytotoxicity assays were further performed using the IC-Tox50 Kit from CCS (Cell Culture Service, Hamburg) according to the manufacturers recommendations in 96-well microtitre plates. L 929 (murine aneuploid fibrosarcoma) cells were used and the activity was followed by recording the decrease of the blue pigment resazurin at 595 nm. Down to a concentration of 1.0 μg/mL a hundred percent inhibition of cell activity was determined for hassallidin A and hassallidin B.

The cytotoxity assays using deposited L 929 cells were prepared as follows: Each well contained 140 μl RPMI-1640 medium, 100 μl resazurin solution and 10 μl test solution of hassallidin A or hassallidin B at different concentrations. To obtain 10 μl test solution, 1 μl / 2 μl / 3 μl or 4μl of a 50% methanolic stock solution (25 μg/ 100 μl) were mixed with 9 μl / 8 μl / 7 μl or 6 μl 50% MeOH. For unhindered cell activity, 10 μl 50% MeOH solution was used as test solution. Solutions of lμg Na ₂ SeO ₃ / 10 μl (50% MeOH) and 2 μg Na ₂ SeO ₃ / 10 μl (50% MeOH) were used as positive control.

The absorption difference (Wt ₂₄₁₁ ) of resazurin metabolised by L 929 cells is graphically represented in figure 6.

6. General Experimental Section

UV spectra were recorded on a Shimadzu UV-160 spectrophotometer. The IR spectra were recorded using a Bruker IFS 66v/S Fourier Transform Infrared spectrometer (FTIR).

NMR spectra were recorded at 600 MHz ( ¹ H frequency) using Bruker DRX spectrometers. One mg of hassallidin A was dissolved in 550 μL d ₆ -DMSO yielding a concentration of 1.4 mM. Most spectra were recorded using a 5 mm triple resonance probe (H,C,N) equipped with three-axis self-shielded gradients. A carbon one-dimensional spectrum was recorded using a 5 mm dual resonance probe (H ₅ C). The ¹³ C-HMBC and the ¹⁵ N-HSQC were recorded using a cryogenic 5 mm triple resonance probe (H,C,N) equipped with one-axis self-shielded gradients. One-dimensional proton and carbon spectra were recorded with 32 and 100000 scans using 8k and 128k data points, respectively. AU homonuclear two-dimensional spectra (DQF- COSY, ¹² NOESY, ¹³ TOCSY ¹⁴ ' ¹⁵ ) were recorded using 2048 x 512 complex data points. The DQF-COSY was recorded using 32 scans; the TOCSYs were recorded using 16 scans and mixing times of 30, 60 and 120 msec; and the NOESY was recorded using 32 scans and a mixing time of 100 msec. Most heteronuclear two-dimensional spectra were recorded using 512 x 256 complex data points. The ¹³ C-HMQC ¹⁶ and the ¹³ C-DEPT-HMQC ¹⁷ were recorded using 96 scans, the C-HMQC-TOCSY spectra were recorded with 160 and 256 scans using mixing times of 20 and 120 msec, respectively. The ¹³ C-HMQC-COSY ¹⁹ was recorded with 512 x 384 complex data points using 512 scans. The ¹³ C-HQQC ²⁰ was recorded with 512 x 64 complex data points using a reduced spectral width and 96 scans. All the above heteronuclear spectra were recorded using a BIRD pulse for suppression of protons bound to ¹² C. ²¹ A gradient- ¹³ C-HMBC ²² was recorded with 2048 x 512 complex data points using 176 scans, the ¹⁵ N-HSQC ²³ was recorded with 512 x 64 complex data points using 360 scans.

The GC-MS analyses were performed on an Agilent 6890/5793 MSD system. Mass spectra were obtained on a PerSeptive Biosystems Voyager-DE PRO MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer and on a Bruker esquire 2000 LC-MS system equipped with an electrospray source. The high-resolution ESI-FTICR mass spectrum was obtained on a Finnigan ThermoQuest device. HPLC separations were performed on a Waters 515 system coupled to photodiode array detector and autosampler. The optical density was measured with a Tecan-Genios microplate reader at 595 nm.

Media: The media RPMI- 1640, SAB and AM3 had the following compositions The composition of medium RPMI-1640 is shown in table 6. Table 6. Composition of RPMI-1640 medium

RPMI-1640 medium was bufferd with MOPS (3-[N Morpholino] propanesulfonic acid) 0.165 M and the pH was adjusted to pH = 7.0 at 25°C.

SAB and AM3 media had the following composition:

AM3: Bacto-beef extract (1.5 g/L), bacto-yeast extract (1.5 g/L), bacto-peptone (5 g/L), bacto-dextrose (1 g/L), sodium chloride (3.5 g/L), dipotassium phosphate (3.68 g/L) and mo- nopotassium phosphate (1.32 g/L), pH = 7.0 at 25°C. SAB: 1% bacto-peptone (w/v), 2% glucose (w/v), pH not adjusted.

Organism and Culture Conditions. Hassallia sp. BO7 (deposited under applicant's reference sign HAS B07 with DMSZ, Braunschweig, Germany on February 22, 2005, and now having official DSMZ accession no. DSM17156) was isolated in 2002 from epilithic cyano- bacteria, which were collected in Orrido Clough, Bellano, Italy. The sample was pre- incubated in BG-Il medium modified by Welker: ⁹ [NaNO ₃ (10 mM), K ₂ HPO ₄ (1 niM), MgSO ₄ x 7H ₂ O (0.7 mM), CaCl ₂ (0.2 mM), Na ₂ CO ₃ (0.2 mM), Na ₂ EDTA (0.1 mM), citric acid (0.1 mM), FeCl ₃ x 6H ₂ O (0.02 mM) containing lmL/L medium trace elements additional with thiamine HCl (300 nM), biotin (2 nM), and cyanocobalamin (0.4 nM)] and individualized by plating cultural solution on agar plates (1% agarose in BG-I l medium). For mass cultivation the strain grew in 20 L polycarbonate bottles with the modified BG-I l medium and permanent sterile aeration at room temperature. The cultures were constantly illuminated by daylight lamps (Philips TLD 58W/840). Cyanobacterial material was harvested by percolation after 30 days, to give yields of lyophilised cells from 4.3 g.

Extraction and Isolation. A portion of 4 g freeze-dried cyanobacterial biomass was extracted with 75% MeOH (500 mL) for 3 h and was separated by centrifugation. After removal of solvent in a vacuum rotary evaporator at 50 °C, the crude extract (16 mg) was taken up in 20 ml 90% MeOH and eluted from a solid-phase extraction cartridge (Waters Oasis HLB Extraction Cartridge) with 75% MeOH, filtrated through 0.22 μm filter (Roth Rotilabo) and subjected to HPLC in eight portions [Waters Spherisorb S5 ODS2, 10 x 250 mm column; mobile phase: solvent A: H ₂ O/formic acid (0.05%), solvent B: acetonitrile/formic acid (0.05%); 3 mL/min; UV detection at 220 nm]. The following gradient was applied: solvent B from 30% to 35% in 10 min, 35% to 70% in 30 min, 70% to 100% in 4 min, isocratic 6 min. The fractions that exhibited antifungal activity eluted at 23 — 24 min. Fractions from eight HPLC runs were collected and combined. After removing the solvent under reduced pressure, 2.4 mg purified hassallidin A were obtained.

Hassallidin A (1): white, amorphous solid; UV (MeOH) A _n13x 226 nm (e 5500), 278 nm (e 880), 265 nm (e 700); IR v _max (film): 3448, 3343, 3282, 3080, 2927, 2853, 1740, 1658, 1617, 1543, 1530, 1527, 1453, 1384, 1268, 1240, 1232, 1172, 1128, 1091, 1067 cm ^"1 ; ¹ H and ¹³ C NMR, see Table 1; HR-ESI-FTICR-MS m/z [M+Na] ⁺ 1404.67572 (calcd for [C ₆₂ H ₉₉ N ₁₁ O ₂₄ Na] ⁺ 1404.67618, relative mass error Δ _m = 0.33 ppm).

MS Analysis. Mass spectral analyses were performed on a matrix-assisted laser desorp- tion/ionisation time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) and a liquid chromatography-electrospray- ionisation (LC-ESI) mass spectrometer.

Sample application for MALDI-TOF measurements was carried out directly on sample plates with a mixture of 1 μL matrix (saturated 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid in 50% acetoni- trile, 0.3% TFA) and 1 μL of a 50% MeOH solution containing about 0.2 μg hassallidin A.

The monoisotopic mass of hassallidin A was determined in positive ion reflector mode by using delayed extraction (DE). To obtain additional structural information the fragmentation pattern was recorded using the post-source decay (PSD) modus and stepwise lowering the reflector voltage. Below m/z 300 air was introduced into the collision cell, which increased the number of small fragments and immonium ions. The liquid chromatography system of the LC-ESI-MS were performed with an [Agilent Zorbax SB-C ₁₈ , 5 μm, 4.6 x 150 mm column; mobile phase: solvent A: H ₂ O/TFA (0.02%), solvent B: acetonitrile/TFA (0.02%), 0.5 mL/min; UV detection at 220 nm]. The gradient was: solvent B from 20% to 100% in 20 min and isocratic 5 min. The desired mass signal appeared at 11.5 —13.0 min. The injection volume was 4 μL (about 80 pmol hassallidin A) of a 50% MeOH solution. The MS spectra were generated on a dual octopole ion trap mass spectrometer operated in positive ion mode and fitted with an atmospheric pressure electrospray-ionisation sample introduction device. Fragmentation experiments were performed by automatic MS ⁽ⁿ⁾ technique.

Chiral Amino Acid Analysis. Approx. 50 nM of sample was hydrolysed in 200 μL 6 N HCl (110 °C/24 h). The dry hydrolysate was derivatized to the N-(O-) trifluoroacetyl/ethyl ester and analysed by GC-MS (Agilent 6890/5973 MSD) using a 20 m x 0.25 mm Lipodex E / PS255 (30:70) capillary column. Quantitative analysis was performed by enantiomer label- ing. ²⁴

Sugar and Fatty Acid Analysis. The sample was heated at 70 ⁰ C for 16 h with 0.65 N HCl/abs. MeOH. Excess methanol was evaporated off. The dry residue was treated with N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)- trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA)/acetonitrile (1:1) (60 °C/30 min) and the derivatized sugar and fatty acid were analysed directly by GC-MS on a DB-5 capillary (J + W ₅ Folson).

7. Transcription-Array

Transcription-array experiments were performed which examined which genes of Candida albicans were up-or-down-regulated under the influence of Hassallidin A. The results of such transcription-arrays showed that approximately 45% of the differentially regulated genes (i.e. up-regulated or down-regulated) were somehow connected with GTPase-activity. GTPases are involved in many cellular processes such as cellwall biosynthesis, cell cycle, cell growth,

cell morphology, exocytosis (vesicular transport), lipid metabolism, regulation of transcription factors, regulation of RNA-processes, apoptosis etc. Without wishing to be bound by any theory, the present inventors assume that Hassalladin A has an influence on various GTPases.

Of the 45% differentially regulated genes that are somehow related to GTPase-activity, in the following table those genes are shown that show a two-fold up-regulation or a 50% down- regulation, both with respect to a negative control. In the column "number of arrays", the number of arrays is shown in which such up-regulation or down-regulation could be established out of a total number of arrays of 2.

The designation of genes is the respective entry of each gene from the Saccharomyces genome (www.yeastgenome.org) or the Candida.genome (www.candidagenome.org) data base

Genes involved in: cell wall synthesis (7 % of the known differentially regulated genes)

Genes involvws in: li id metabolism 6 % of known differentially re ulated enes

Genes involved in: transcri tional re ulation 7 % of known differentially re ulated enes

Genes involved in: RNA rocessin 9 % of known differentially re ulated genes

A transcription-array which was performed in parallel using Caspofungin only showed a 10% match of up-and-down-regulated genes, respectively, with the data obtained for Hassallidin A. Again, without wanting to be bound by any theory, the present inventors assume that Hassallidin A and Caspofungin have a different mechanism of action.

8. Examination of fungi grown in the presence of Hassallidin A using microscopy

Aspergillus Niger was grown in the presence of Hassallidin A at a sub-inhibitory concentration (2 μg/ml) after 24 h at 28°C in malt medium. Figure 7A and B show such growth at a magnification of 40 x 10, wherein figure 7A is the negative control (absence of Hassallidin A), and figure 7B shows the growth in the presence of 2 μg/ml Hassallidin A. It can be seen that, in the presence of Hassallidin A, there is a delayed growth and an abnormal hyper-

branching in the cells grown in the presence of Hassallidin A. This suggest interference with the cell cycle.

b. Cell growth of Candida albicans in the presence of Hassallidin A or Caspofungin

Candida albicans was grown in the presence of Hassallidin A or Caspofungin at a subinhibitory concentration (1,6 μg/ml and 0,125 μg/ml). The cells were examined after growth for 18 h at 37 ⁰ C in RPMI-medium. Figures 8A and B show the negative control, i.e. in the absence of any Hassallidin A or Caspofungin at a magnification of 16 x 10 and 100 x 10, respectively. Figures 8C and D show the cells in the presence of Caspofungin at two different magnifications, and figures 8E and F show the cells in the presence of Hassallidin A at two different magnifications. For the cells grown in the presence of Hassallidin A a strong induction of pseudomycelium growth could be observed which suggests that Hassallidin A interferes with the cell cycle and cell growth.

c. Growth of Candida albicans in the presence of Hassallidin A examined by electron microscopy after 0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 6 hours.

Two different concentrations of Hassallidin A were used (4 and 8 μg/ml).

An increased formation of membrane enclosed compartments (arrows) could be observed underneath the plasma membrane, in the presence of 4 μg/ml Hassallidin. The electron density suggests a presence of cell wall components in these compartments. Only at some places, these compartments have a direct contact with the plasma membrane. Vesicles fuse with these compartments. The compartments appear to be more pronounced in regions of cell growth (budding/germinating cells and dividing cells). If Hassallidin A is present at 8 μg/ml, there appears to be cell death (1 h). A high number of vesicles can also be observed at 8 μg/ml, whereas the formation of compartments which is typical for 4 μg/ml, can only be observed at the beginning of growth and only to a limited extent for 8 μg/ml Hassallidin A.

Without wishing to be bound by any theory, this suggests that under the influence of Hassallidin A, the Candida albicans cells appear to synthesize cell wall components, whereas the exocytosis of vesicles through the plasma membrane appears to be locked. An accumulation of fused vesicles into larger compartments can be observed.

The influence of micafungin (Echinocandin) on Candida albicans shows different results under the electron microscope (results not shown), which suggests that, again, the mechanism of action of Hassallidin and Echinocandin are probably different.

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The features of the present invention disclosed in the specification, the claims and/or in the accompanying drawings, may, both separately, and in any combination thereof, be material for realising the invention in various forms thereof.