Neoenactin B1

Neoenactins (NEs) are L-serine-containing antifungal antibiotics produced by Streptoverticillium olivoreticuli. The effect of supplementation of individual amino acids on the production of NEs by this organism was examined from both quantitative and qualitative view points by using a nitrogen source-restricted medium. L-Alanine, L-arginine, L-glutamine, L-histidine, L-lysine and L-proline increased significantly the total productivity of NEs without changing the production ratio of the congeners. The supplementation of L-norvaline, L-isoleucine, L-leucine and L-valine to the culture medium resulted in selective enhancement of the production of NEs A, B1, B2, and M1, respectively, while significant change was not observed in terms of overall production of NEs. When L-norleucine was employed as an amino acid supplement, new NE congeners, named NEs NL1 and NL2, were preferentially produced; but the amount of NEs produced was not markedly affected.

Several therapeutic monoclonal antibodies approved by the FDA are available against the PD-1/PD-L1 (programmed death 1/programmed death ligand 1) immune checkpoint axis, which has been an unprecedented success in cancer treatment. However, existing therapeutics against PD-L1, including small molecule inhibitors, have certain drawbacks such as high cost and drug resistance that challenge the currently available anti-PD-L1 therapy. Therefore, this study presents the screening of 32,552 compounds from the Natural Product Atlas database against PD-L1, including three steps of structure-based virtual screening followed by binding free energy to refine the ideal conformation of potent PD-L1 inhibitors. Subsequently, five natural compounds, i.e., Neoenactin B1, Actinofuranone I, Cosmosporin, Ganocapenoid A, and 3-[3-hydroxy-4-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)phenyl]-5-(4-hydroxybenzyl)-4-methyldihydrofuran-2(3H)-one, were collected based on the ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity) profiling and binding free energy (>-60 kcal/mol) for further computational investigation in comparison to co-crystallized ligand, i.e., JQT inhibitor. Based on interaction mapping, explicit 100 ns molecular dynamics simulation, and end-point binding free energy calculations, the selected natural compounds were marked for substantial stability with PD-L1 via intermolecular interactions (hydrogen and hydrophobic) with essential residues in comparison to the JQT inhibitor. Collectively, the calculated results advocate the selected natural compounds as the putative potent inhibitors of PD-L1 and, therefore, can be considered for further development of PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer immunotherapy.

The structures of three neoenactin congeners, designated as neoenactins B1, B2 and M2 were elucidated by 1H and 13C NMR and mass spectroscopic studies. Another minor component, neoenactin M1, isolated from the crude mixture, was identified as lipoxamycin. All three new compounds were structurally related to neoenactin A. While B1 was proved to be a positional isomer of B2, M2 was found to be a dihydro derivative of A. All the compounds were active against yeasts and fungi and potentiated the activities of polyene antifungal antibiotics such as trichomycins A and B and amphotericin B.