THE PREUSSOMERINS - NOVEL ANTIFUNGAL METABOLITES FROM THE COPROPHILOUS FUNGUS PREUSSIA-ISOMERA CAIN

Preussomerins A-F (1-6), a series of new aromatic bis-ketals with antifungal and antibacterial activities, have been isolated from the coprophilous fungus Preussia isomera (CBS 415.82). Preussomerins A-F were obtained from ethyl acetate extracts of liquid cultures of P. isomera by silica gel chromatography and reversed-phase HPLC. The structures of preussomerins B-F (2-6) were proposed on the basis of extensive NMR experiments and by comparison with the data for preussomerin A (1), whose structure was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The isolation process was guided by in vitro bioassays for antifungal antagonism toward other coprophilous fungi.