Inhibition of TGF-β signaling by the fungal lactones (S)-curvularin, dehydrocurvularin, oxacyclododecindione and galiellalactone.

TGF-β is a multifunctional cytokine that regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and extracellular matrix production. Deregulation of TGF-β production or signaling plays a pivotal role in a variety of pathological processes such as cancer, metastasis, angiogenesis and fibrosis. Therefore, TGF-β inhibitors should be promising therapeutic agents for the suppression of cancer progression and metastasis as well as fibrotic disorders.

Inhibition of TGF-β signaling, vasculogenic mimicry and proinflammatory gene expression by isoxanthohumol.

TGF-β is a multifunctional cytokine that regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and extracellular matrix production. Deregulation of TGF-β production or signaling has been associated with a variety of pathological processes such as cancer, metastasis, angiogenesis and fibrosis. Therefore, TGF-β signaling has emerged as an attractive target for the development of new cancer therapeutics.

Caripyrin, a new inhibitor of infection-related morphogenesis in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae.

Caripyrin (trans-5-(3-methyloxiranyl)pyridincarboxylic acid methyl ester, 1), a new pyridyloxirane, was isolated from submerged cultures of the basidiomycete Caripia montagnei. The compound was found to inhibit conidial germination and appressorium formation in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, whereas the infection-related morphogenesis in several other phytopathogenic fungi was not affected. In plant assays on rice, 1 was found to protect plants more efficiently against fungal infection than the structurally related fungal secondary metabolite, fusaric acid.

Laschiatrion, a new antifungal agent from a Favolaschia species (Basidiomycetes) active against human pathogens.

Laschiatrion (1), a new antifungal antibiotic, was isolated from fermentations of Favolaschia sp. 87129. (1) exhibits broad in vitro activity against several human pathogens while no antibacterial and cytotoxic activities could be detected.

Hormonemate, a new cytotoxic and apoptosis-inducing compound from the endophytic fungus Hormonema dematioides. I. Identification of the producing strain, and isolation and biological properties of hormonemate.

In a search for new fungal compounds inducing apoptosis of the colon cancer derived cell line COLO-320, hormonemate (1) was purified from fermentations of an endophytic fungus isolated from living needles of a Pinus species. The producing strain was identified as Hormonema dematioides by microscopy and ITS rDNA sequence analysis. The structure of hormonemate was determined by spectroscopic methods.