Albofungin and chloroalbofungin: antibiotic crystals with 2D but not 3D isostructurality

The potent antibiotics albofungin [systematic name: (1S,4R,8aR)-13-amino-1,15,16-trihydroxy-4-methoxy-12-methyl-3,4,8a,13-tetrahydro-1H-xantheno-[4',3',2':4,5][1,3]benzodioxino[7,6-g]isoquinoline-14,17(2H,9H)-dione, C27H24N2O9, 1] and its chlorinated analogue chloroalbofungin (the 11-chloro analogue, C27H23ClN2O9, 2) have been crystallized following their isolation from the bacterial strain Streptomyces chrestomyceticus and their structures determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The novel N-aminoquinolone molecular arrangement shows N-N bond lengths of 1.4202 (16) and 1.424 (2) angstrom in 1 and 2, respectively. The regiochemistry of chloro substitution in the A-ring is para to the quinolone O atom, with a C-Cl bond length of 1.741 (2) angstrom. The absolute stereochemistry at three chiral centres of the xanthone rings (i.e. 10S, 13R and 19R) is confirmed. Both compounds crystallize in chiral Sohncke space groups consistent with enantiopurity, but are not fully isostructural. A preserved supramolecular construct (SC) confers two-dimensional (2D) isostructurality, but the SC self-associates via either a twofold screw operation in 1, giving a monoclinic P2(1) structure, or a twofold rotation in 2, affording a monoclinic C2 structure with a doubled unit-cell axis.