Production of novel bispyrone metabolites in the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium giganteum induced by zinc(II) ion

In this study, Zn2+ induced the production of two new bispyrone-type metabolites, dictyobispyrone B and E, in the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium giganteum. Their structures were proposed on the basis of spectroscopic analysis and confirmed by chemical synthesis. They possess a novel α,α-bispyrone skeleton modified with long carbon chains. Both could be formed from two different polyketide chains through a novel biosynthetic pathway. Our results indicate that cultivation of cellular slime molds in the presence of Zn2+ is a useful technique for discovering other structurally unique compounds.

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