Isolation and structure of the cytotoxin lyngbyabellin B and absolute configuration of lyngbyapeptin A from the marine cyanobacterium Lyngbya majuscula

An analogue of the potent microfilament;disrupter lyngbyabellin A (1) has been isolated as a minor metabolite from the marine cyanobacterium Lyngbya majuscula collected at Apra Harbor, Guam. It possesses slightly weaker cytotoxicity than 1 and has been named lyngbyabellin B (2). Primarily NMR spectroscopy was used to determine its structure. The absolute configuration of 2 has been ascertained by chiral HPLC analysis of degradation products and by comparison with lyngbyabellin A (1). The known modified tetrapeptide lyngbyapeptin A (3) has also been found in the same extract, and its absolute stereochemistry could be determined for the first time.