Publications by authors named "Rainer Kalscheuer"

Three sulfur-containing alkaloids aplospojaveedins A-C (1-3) with a hitherto undescribed carbon skeleton comprising octahy-dronaphthalene, , -unsaturated lactam and glycine-cysteine moieties were isolated from . Their structures were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, HR-MS, X-ray diffraction analysis, DFT-NMR and TDDFT-ECD calculations. A plausible biosynthetic pathway and putative targets are described.

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Chemical prospection for the mycelial extract of the fungus Acremonium sp. Strain MNA-F-1, derived from the inner tissue of anise roots (Pimpnella anisum L., family Apiaceae), led to the isolation and characterization of one previously undescribed natural product, acremochlorin S (1), together with five related derivatives (2-6) and an alkaloidal metabolite, ilicicolin H (7).

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Article Synopsis
  • The growing issue of antimicrobial resistance highlights the urgent need for new treatments against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), leading researchers to explore callyaerins, a class of unique hydrophobic cyclopeptides, as potential anti-tubercular agents.
  • Callyaerins are effective against various strains of Mtb, including those resistant to existing antibiotics, showing minimal harm to human cells and strong intracellular activity.
  • Studies reveal that callyaerins target a specific membrane protein in Mtb, Rv2113, causing significant disturbances in vital cellular processes like lipid synthesis and DNA repair, indicating that even non-essential proteins could be promising targets for new antimycobacterial drugs.
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Article Synopsis
  • A chemical study of a fungal endophyte from Cameroonian leaves led to the discovery of a new 10-membered macrolide and two previously known natural products.
  • The structures of the new compounds, xylatolides A and B, were clearly determined using mass spectrometry and advanced NMR techniques, revealing a unique lactone structure.
  • When tested for cytotoxic effects against liver and colon cancer cell lines, as well as against some bacteria and fungi, the compounds showed no notable activity.
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The selection of oleaginous bacteria, potentially applicable to biotechnological approaches, is usually carried out by different expensive and time-consuming techniques. In this study, we used Oil Red O (ORO) as an useful dye for staining of neutral lipids (triacylglycerols and wax esters) on thin-layer chromatography plates. ORO could detect minimal quantities of both compounds (detection limit, 0.

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About 100,000 deaths are attributed annually to infections with methicillin-resistant (MRSA) despite concerted efforts toward vaccine development and clinical trials involving several preclinically efficacious drug candidates. This necessitates the development of alternative therapeutic options against this drug-resistant bacterial pathogen. Using the Masuda borylation-Suzuki coupling (MBSC) sequence, we previously synthesized and modified naturally occurring bisindole alkaloids, alocasin A, hyrtinadine A and scalaradine A, resulting in derivatives showing potent and antibacterial efficacy.

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In this study, a library of 3,7-di(hetero)aryl-substituted 10-(3-trimethylammoniumpropyl)10-phenothiazine salts is prepared. These title compounds and their precursors are reversible redox systems with tunable potentials. The Hammett correlation gives a very good correlation of the first oxidation potentials with σ parameters.

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Reverse analogs of the phosphonohydroxamic acid antibiotic fosmidomycin are potent inhibitors of the nonmevalonate isoprenoid biosynthesis enzyme 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR, IspC) of . Some novel analogs with large phenylalkyl substituents at the hydroxamic acid nitrogen exhibit nanomolar DXR inhibition and potent growth inhibition of parasites coupled with good parasite selectivity. X-ray crystallographic studies demonstrated that the -phenylpropyl substituent of the newly developed lead compound is accommodated in a subpocket within the DXR catalytic domain but does not reach the NADPH binding pocket of the -terminal domain.

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Bacteria have acquired sophisticated mechanisms for assembling and disassembling polysaccharides of different chemistry. α-d-Glucose homopolysaccharides, so-called α-glucans, are the most widespread polymers in nature being key components of microorganisms. Glycogen functions as an intracellular energy storage while some bacteria also produce extracellular assorted α-glucans.

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A new series of 4-nitroimidazole bearing aryl piperazines , tetrazole and 1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives was synthesized. All derivatives were screened for their anticancer activity against eight diverse human cancer cell lines (Capan-1, HCT-116, LN229, NCI-H460, DND-41, HL-60, K562, and Z138). Compound proved the most potent compound of the series inhibiting proliferation of most of the selected human cancer cell lines with IC values in the low micromolar range.

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The OSMAC (one strain many compounds) concept is a cultivation-based approach to increase the diversity of secondary metabolites in microorganisms. In this study, we applied the OSMAC-approach to the endophytic fungus Trichocladium sp. by supplementation of the cultivation medium with 2.

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Antimicrobial resistance is a global health threat that requires the development of new treatment concepts. These should not only overcome existing resistance but be designed to slow down the emergence of new resistance mechanisms. Targeted protein degradation, whereby a drug redirects cellular proteolytic machinery towards degrading a specific target, is an emerging concept in drug discovery.

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In this study, we report the isolation of two new meroterpenoids, miniolutelide D () and miniolutelide E (13--miniolutelide C) (), along with two meroterpenoidal analogues ( and ) and two phenolic compounds ( and ) from the endophytic fungus derived from fruits. Their structures were elucidated using extensive MS, 1D, and 2D NMR spectroscopic analyses as well as by comparing with data in the literature. The absolute configurations of and were determined using TDDFT-ECD calculations.

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is a fungus widely distributed on Earth and has a high capacity to adapt to complex environments in soil, plants, or sea. It is an endophyte that can be used as a potential biocontrol agent to protect plants from pathogenic fungi, nematodes, and insects. However, the spectrum of secondary metabolites produced by has only scarcely been studied.

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In-depth chemical investigation of an ethyl acetate extract of sp. isolated from the soft coral species resulted in the isolation of one new meroterpenoid, austalide Z (1), one known austalide W (2), six known prenylated indole diketopiperazine alkaloids (3-8), and phthalic acid and its ethyl derivative (9-10). The structures were established by means of 1D and 2D NMR (one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance) experiments supported by UV analysis and ESI-MS (electrospray ionization mass spectrometry).

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The ClpC1:ClpP1P2 protease is a core component of the proteostasis system in mycobacteria. To improve the efficacy of antitubercular agents targeting the Clp protease, we characterized the mechanism of the antibiotics cyclomarin A and ecumicin. Quantitative proteomics revealed that the antibiotics cause massive proteome imbalances, including upregulation of two unannotated yet conserved stress response factors, ClpC2 and ClpC3.

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A fluorescence turn-on probe, an azide-masked and trehalose-derivatized carbazole (), was developed to image mycobacteria. The fluorescence turn-on is achieved by photoactivation of the azide, which generates a fluorescent product through an efficient intramolecular C-H insertion reaction. The probe is highly specific for mycobacteria and could image mycobacteria in the presence of other Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

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is an apicomplexan pathogen able to infect a wide range of warm-blooded animals, including humans, leading to toxoplasmosis. Current treatments for toxoplasmosis are associated with severe side-effects and a lack efficacy to eradicate chronic infection. Thus, there is an urgent need for developing novel, highly efficient agents against toxoplasmosis with low toxicity.

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The continuous, worldwide spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis (TB) endanger the World Health Organization's (WHO) goal to end the global TB pandemic by the year 2035. During the past 50 years, very few new drugs have been approved by medical agencies to treat drug-resistant TB. Therefore, the development of novel antimycobacterial drug candidates to combat the threat of drug-resistant TB is urgent.

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Beauvericin (BEA), a mycotoxin of the enniatin family produced by various toxigenic fungi, has been attributed multiple biological activities such as anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial functions. However, effects of BEA on dendritic cells remain unknown so far. Here, we identified effects of BEA on murine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)-cultured bone marrow derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) and the underlying molecular mechanisms.

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Chemical investigation of the fungal endophyte Pseudopestalotiopsis theae isolated from leaves of Caloncoba welwitschii, collected in Cameroon, resulted in two previously undescribed sulfur-containing xanthone derivatives sydoxanthones D and E, in addition to three previously undescribed monomeric diisoprenyl-cyclohexene-type meroterpenoids biscognienynes D-F and five known natural products. The structures of the undescribed compounds were unambiguously identified by their mass spectra and by extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analysis. Mosher's reaction was performed to determine the absolute configuration of sydoxanthones D and E while TDDFT-ECD calculations were used to assign the configuration of biscognienyne D.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Trehalose is crucial for the survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which can both synthesize it and absorb it from outside sources; its transport involves the ABC transporter LpqY-SugA-SugB-SugC across the cytoplasmic membrane but remains unclear through the mycomembrane.
  • - Researchers utilized the compound 6-azido trehalose to identify resistant M. tuberculosis mutants, discovering that mutations linked to resistance occurred in the PPE family protein PPE51, which is part of the mycomembrane and aids in transporting small molecules.
  • - A mutant strain lacking the ppe51 gene failed to utilize trehalose as a carbon source, confirming that PPE51 is essential for the
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The use of antibiotics in humans and animals results in a release of excess antibiotic residues into the environment through wastewaters and insufficient removal in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), leading to increasing numbers of bacteria enriched in antibiotic resistance genes (ARG). However, the potential transfer of ARG and their host bacteria between different environments remains largely unexplored. Since many factors need to be fulfilled for a transfer between different environments, we hypothesized that antibiotic resistance (ABR) is less frequently transferred between environments in the same geographical region but rather develops and clusters in each distinct environment, leading to characteristic metagenome patterns in samples of different environments.

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Lantibiotics are a growing class of antimicrobial peptides, which possess antimicrobial activity against mainly Gram-positive bacteria including the highly resistant strains such as methicillin-resistant or vancomycin-resistant enterococci. In the last decades numerous lantibiotics were discovered in natural habitats or designed with bioengineering tools. In this study, we present an insight in the antimicrobial potential of the natural occurring lantibiotic nisin H from as well as the variant nisin H FI.

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