ASPOCHALASIN E, A NEW ANTIBIOTIC ISOLATED FROM A FUNGUS

In the course of screening for new biological actives, an unidentified fungal strain (FA2277) was found to produce several cytotoxic substances including a new aspochalasin analog. Aspochalasins which are structurally related to cytochalasins, well-known mycotoxins, were first isolated as metabolic products of Aspergillus microcysticus , and few compounds of this group have been characterized to data. This paper briefly describes the fermentation, isolation, structural studies, and cytotoxic activity of aspochalasin E, a new aspochalasin analog. Strain FA2277 was isolated from a soil sample collected in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.