Wirkstoffe

Epothilones, macrocyclic lactones from culture filtrates of the myxobacterium Sorangium cellulosum, are known as taxol-like microtubular drugs in human medicine. To date, nothing is known about the effect of epothilones on microtubules (MTs) in plant cells and/or on the plant cell cycle. As shown in this report, the treatment of tomato cell suspension cultures with epothilone D produced a continuous increase in the mitotic index. Dose–response curves revealed that epothilone D alters the mitotic index at concentrations as low as 1.5 μM. Mitotic arrest was already visible after only 2 h of treatment, and 55% of the cells were arrested after 24 h. As shown by immunocytological methods, abnormal spindles are formed during metaphase, which leads to a random distribution of chromosomes in the whole cell and prevents the formation of a metaphase plate. The process of chromosome decondensation does not seem to be affected, because micronuclei form at the same place with the distributed chromosomes. This suggests that epothilone D influences the stability of plant MTs mainly during metaphase of the mitotic cycle. In metaphase, the effects of epothilone D seem to be irreversible, because cells with an abnormal spindle could not be recovered after removal of the drug.

From fruit bodies of the basidiomycete Hygrophorus eburneus (Bull.: Fr.) Fr. (Tricholomataceae) eight fatty acids (C16, C18) with γ -oxocrotonate partial structure could be isolated. Initial tests demonstrate their bactericidal and fungicidal activity. The structures of (2E,9E)-4-oxooctadeca- 2,9,17-trienoic acid (1), (2E,11Z)-4-oxooctadeca-2,11,17-trienoic acid (2), (E)-4-oxohexadeca-2,15- dienoic acid (3), (E)-4-oxooctadeca-2,17-dienoic acid (4), (2E,9E)-4-oxooctadeca-2,9-dienoic acid (5), (2E,11Z)-4-oxooctadeca-2,11-dienoic acid (6), (E)-4-oxohexadec-2-enoic acid (7), and (E)-4- oxooctadec-2-enoic acid (8) were elucidated on the basis of their spectroscopic data.

Die fungizide Wirkung von verschiedenen Rohextrakten von 23 Arten der Gattung Hygrophorus gegen Cladosporium cucumerinum wird gezeigt. Als Wirkprinzip konnten ungewöhnliche Fettsäuren und die Hygrophorone A-G identifiziert werden.