Oscillatoxin I: A New Aplysiatoxin Derivative, from a Marine Cyanobacterium

Abstract

Cyanobacteria have been shown to produce a number of bioactive compounds, including toxins. Some bioactive compounds obtained from a marine cyanobacterium <i>Moorea producens</i> (formerly <i>Lyngbya majuscula</i>) have been recognized as drug leads; one of these compounds is aplysiatoxin. We have isolated various aplysiatoxin derivatives from a <i>M. producens</i> sample obtained from the Okinawan coastal area. The frozen sample was extracted with organic solvents. The ethyl acetate layer was obtained from the crude extracts via liquid-liquid partitioning, then separated by HPLC using a reversed-phase column. Finally, 1.1 mg of the compound was isolated. The chemical structure of the isolated compound was elucidated with spectroscopic methods, using HR-MS and 1D and 2D NMR techniques, and was revealed to be oscillatoxin I, a new member of the aplysiatoxin family. Oscillatoxin I showed cytotoxicity against the L1210 mouse lymphoma cell line and diatom growth-inhibition activity against the marine diatom <i>Nitzschia amabilis</i>.