The 3,3'-pyrrolidinyl-spirooxindole unit is a privileged heterocyclic motif that forms the core of a large family of alkaloid natural products with strong bioactivity profiles and interesting structural properties. Significant recent advances in the synthesis of this fused heterocyclic system have led to intense interest in the development of related compounds as potential medicinal agents or biological probes.

Pyrrolidinyl-spirooxindole natural products as inspirations for the development of potential therapeutic agents.

http://www.dejongeakademie.nl/shared/resources/documents/bacteriocins-safe-for-food-preservation-cleveland-1.pdf

Bacteriocins: Safe, natural antimicrobials for food preservation

https://depositonce.tu-berlin.de/bitstream/11303/5674/1/c2np20085f.pdf

Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide natural products: Overview and recommendations for a universal nomenclature

Much of natural product chemistry concerns a group of compounds known as secondary metabolites. These low-molecular-weight metabolites often have potent physiological activities. Digitalis, morphine and quinine are plant secondary metabolites, whereas penicillin, cephalosporin, ergotrate and the statins are equally well known fungal secondary metabolites. Although chemically diverse, all secondary metabolites are produced by a few common biosynthetic pathways, often in conjunction with morphological development. Recent advances in molecular biology, bioinformatics and comparative genomics have revealed that the genes encoding specific fungal secondary metabolites are clustered and often located near telomeres. In this review, we address some important questions, including which evolutionary pressures led to gene clustering, why closely related species produce different profiles of secondary metabolites, and whether fungal genomics will accelerate the discovery of new pharmacologically active natural products.

Fungal secondary metabolism — from biochemistry to genomics

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an integral role as signalling molecules in the regulation of numerous biological processes such as growth, development, and responses to biotic and/or abiotic stimuli in plants. To some extent, various functions of ROS signalling are attributed to differences in the regulatory mechanisms of respiratory burst oxidase homologues (RBOHs) that are involved in a multitude of different signal transduction pathways activated in assorted tissue and cell types under fluctuating environmental conditions. Recent findings revealed that stress responses in plants are mediated by a temporal-spatial coordination between ROS and other signals that rely on production of stress-specific chemicals, compounds, and hormones. In this review we will provide an update of recent findings related to the integration of ROS signals with an array of signalling pathways aimed at regulating different responses in plants. In particular, we will address signals that confer systemic acquired resistance (SAR) or systemic acquired acclimation (SAA) in plants.

ROS as key players in plant stress signalling

Horsfiline, an oxindole alkaloid from Horsfieldia superba

In vitro antiplasmodial activity and cytotoxicity of 33 West African plants used for treatment of malaria.

Identification of peptaibols from Trichoderma virens and cloning of a peptaibol synthetase

Trichogin A IV (GA IV) is the main component of the natural trichogin mixture, a new peptide group extracted from in vitro cultures of the fungus Trichoderma longibrachiatum. GA IV was isolated by reversed-phase HPLC, and its amino acid sequence was elucidated by FAB mass spectrometry and high-field NMR. Complete 1 H and 13 C resonance assignments were carried out using HOHAHA, ROESY, 1 H- 13 C COSY, and COLOC two-dimensional spectroscopies

Bernard Bodo

Papers

Horsfiline, an oxindole alkaloid from Horsfieldia superba

In vitro antiplasmodial activity and cytotoxicity of 33 West African plants used for treatment of malaria.

Identification of peptaibols from Trichoderma virens and cloning of a peptaibol synthetase

Trichogin A IV, an 11-residue lipopeptaibol from Trichoderma longibrachiatum

Antimalarial and cytotoxic activities of ethnopharmacologically selected medicinal plants from South Vietnam.