Communesin B

Communesin B is a cytotoxic chemical compound isolated from Penicillium strains found on the marine alga Ulva intestinalis.^[1][2] It exhibits cytotoxicity in vitro against human lung carcinoma, prostate carcinoma, colorectal carcinoma, cervical adenocarcinoma, and breast adenocarcinoma cell lines.^[3]

Communesin B

Names
Preferred IUPAC name (2E,4E)-1-{(3aR,8aR,13bR,16aS,17S)-17-[(2R)-3,3-Dimethyloxiran-2-yl]-9-methyl-2,3,8a,9,14,15-hexahydro-8H-13,16-methanobenzo[c]indolo[3,2-j]pyrrolo[3,2-e][2,6]naphthyridin-1(16aH)-yl}hexa-2,4-dien-1-one
Identifiers
CAS Number	148439-46-7 Y
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
ChemSpider	24713764
PubChem CID	44575539
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID001017735
InChI InChI=1S/C32H36N4O2/c1-5-6-7-15-24(37)35-18-16-31-21-12-8-9-13-22(21)33-28-32(31)17-19-36(29(31)35)26(27-30(2,3)38-27)20-11-10-14-23(25(20)32)34(28)4/h5-15,26-29,33H,16-19H2,1-4H3/b6-5+,15-7+/t26-,27+,28+,29+,31-,32-/m0/s1 Key: XZFSMUXVAYCHFO-RPCCRITPSA-N
SMILES C/C=C/C=C/C(=O)N1CC[C@]23[C@H]1N4CC[C@@]25c6c(cccc6N([C@H]5Nc7c3cccc7)C)[C@H]4[C@@H]8C(O8)(C)C
Properties
Chemical formula	C32H36N4O2
Molar mass	508.666 g·mol−1
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). Infobox references

Biosynthesis

Communesin B is a dimeric indole alkaloid with a hexadienoyl moiety originating from polyketide synthesis.^[4] Biosynthesis starts with two L-tryptophan molecules processed by different pathways. The first pathway involves a decarboxylation step catalyzed by CnsB to produce tryptamine. The second pathway starts the synthesis of 4-L-dimethylallyl tryptophan by CnsF followed by further processing of CnsA and CnsD to form aurantioclavine.^[4] These two indole-containing fragments are combined through a radical oxidative coupling by CnsC, a cytochrome P450 enzyme, to form the core scaffold of communesin alkaloids.^[5] CnsE transfers a methyl group to the indole nitrogen, and CnsJ creates an epoxide ring on the dimethylallyl substituent off the ring structure to form communesin I.^[6] Separately, CnsI synthesizes a hexadienoyl group using acetyl-CoA as a starting material and extending it with two malonyl-CoA units.^[6] Then, CnsK performs N-acylation with the CnsI-synthesized hexadienoyl chain to form communesin B.^[6]

Biosynthesis of communesin B. Reproduction of Figure 18 from Wei X, Wang W, Matsuda Y (2002). ^[4]