Induced production of zinniol analogues by co-cultivation of two endophytic fungi in the same ecological niche

Abstract

Three zinniol analogues, pleoniols A–C (1–3), together with a known compound (4), were isolated from a mixed fermentation of two endophytic fungi, Pleosporales sp. F46 and Acremonium pilosum F47, both of which are found the pedicel of the medicinal plant Mahonia fortunei. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis showed that none of compounds 1–4 were detected when either one of the two fungi was cultured alone. The structures of compounds 1–4, including the absolute configurations, were deduced based on the interpretation of HRMS, NMR, and optical rotation data. Compounds 1–3 exhibited no antimicrobial efficacies against four Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria and two plant pathogenic fungi. Moreover, they demonstrated no obvious cytotoxic activities against four cancer cell lines, A549, MDA-MB-231, CT-26 and MCF-7. Our work indicates that the co-culture of endophytes in the same ecological niche is an effective approach for promoting interspecies interaction and enriching chemical diversity.