Discovery of a parallel family of euglenatide analogs in Euglena gracilis

doi:10.1007/s13659-024-00490-8

Natural Products and Bioprospecting ›› 2025, Vol. 15 ›› Issue (1): 10-10.DOI: 10.1007/s13659-024-00490-8

• Short Communication • Previous Articles

Discovery of a parallel family of euglenatide analogs in Euglena gracilis

Ahmed H. Elbanna^1,2, Xinhui Kou¹, Dilip V. Prajapati¹, Surasree Rakshit¹, Rebecca A. Butcher¹

1. Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA;
2. Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, 11562, Egypt

Received:2024-08-29 Accepted:2024-12-16 Online:2025-02-15 Published:2025-02-24
Contact: Rebecca A. BUTCHER,E-mail:butcher@chem.ufl.edu
Supported by:
This work was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (R35 GM144076 to R.A.B.).

Discovery of a parallel family of euglenatide analogs in Euglena gracilis

Ahmed H. Elbanna^1,2, Xinhui Kou¹, Dilip V. Prajapati¹, Surasree Rakshit¹, Rebecca A. Butcher¹

1. Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA;
2. Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, 11562, Egypt

通讯作者: Rebecca A. BUTCHER,E-mail:butcher@chem.ufl.edu
基金资助:
This work was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (R35 GM144076 to R.A.B.).

Abstract

Abstract: The euglenatides are a family of hybrid polyketide-nonribosomal peptides produced by the unicellular algae Euglena gracilis. These compounds have antiproliferative activity against fungal pathogens and mammalian cancer cell lines. Analysis of E. gracilis extracts revealed that the algae produce not only the euglenatides, but also a corresponding family of analogs that have the same molecular weights as the euglenatides, but are lacking the characteristic triene chromophore. In comparison to the euglenatides, the activity of these analogs is greatly reduced in a mammalian cytotoxicity assay, indicating that the triene is critical to the biological activity of the euglenatides.

Key words: Polyketide, Nonribosomal peptide, Euglena gracilis, Euglenatide, Natural products

摘要： The euglenatides are a family of hybrid polyketide-nonribosomal peptides produced by the unicellular algae Euglena gracilis. These compounds have antiproliferative activity against fungal pathogens and mammalian cancer cell lines. Analysis of E. gracilis extracts revealed that the algae produce not only the euglenatides, but also a corresponding family of analogs that have the same molecular weights as the euglenatides, but are lacking the characteristic triene chromophore. In comparison to the euglenatides, the activity of these analogs is greatly reduced in a mammalian cytotoxicity assay, indicating that the triene is critical to the biological activity of the euglenatides.

关键词: Euglena gracilis, Euglenatide, Natural products, Polyketide, Nonribosomal peptide

Ahmed H. Elbanna, Xinhui Kou, Dilip V. Prajapati, Surasree Rakshit, Rebecca A. Butcher. Discovery of a parallel family of euglenatide analogs in Euglena gracilis[J]. Natural Products and Bioprospecting, 2025, 15(1): 10-10.

Ahmed H. Elbanna, Xinhui Kou, Dilip V. Prajapati, Surasree Rakshit, Rebecca A. Butcher. Discovery of a parallel family of euglenatide analogs in Euglena gracilis[J]. 应用天然产物, 2025, 15(1): 10-10.

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Discovery of a parallel family of euglenatide analogs in Euglena gracilis

Discovery of a parallel family of euglenatide analogs in Euglena gracilis

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