Identification of Novel Gymnodimines and Spirolides from the Marine Dinoflagellate Alexandrium ostenfeldii

Abstract

Cyclic imine toxins are neurotoxic, macrocyclic compounds produced by marine dinoflagellates. Mass spectrometric screenings of extracts from natural plankton assemblages revealed a high chemical diversity among this toxin class, yet only few toxins are structurally known. Here we report the structural characterization of four novel cyclic-imine toxins (two gymnodimines (GYMs) and two spirolides (SPXs)) from cultures of Alexandrium ostenfeldii. A GYM with m/z 510 (1) was identified as 16-desmethylGYM D. A GYM with m/z 526 was identified as the hydroxylated degradation product of (1) with an exocyclic methylene at C-17 and an allylic hydroxyl group at C-18. This compound was named GYM E (2). We further identified a SPX with m/z 694 as 20-hydroxy-13,19-didesmethylSPX C (10) and a SPX with m/z 696 as 20-hydroxy-13,19-didesmethylSPX D (11). This is the first report of GYMs without a methyl group at ring D and SPXs with hydroxyl groups at position C-20. These compounds can be conceived as derivatives of the same nascent polyketide chain, supporting the hypothesis that GYMs and SPXs are produced through common biosynthetic genes. Both novel GYMs 1 and 2 were detected in significant amounts in extracts from natural plankton assemblages (1: 447 pg; 2: 1250 pg; 11: 40 pg per mL filtered seawater respectively).