Renieramycin J, a highly cytotoxic tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid, from a marine sponge Neopetrosia sp.

Renieramycin J (1), a new tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid, has been isolated from a marine sponge Neopetrosia sp. as a potent cytotoxin that induced morphological changes in 3Y1 cells. Such changes are characteristic of RNA and/or protein synthesis inhibitors. The structure of 1 including the absolute stereochemistry was determined by spectroscopic and chemical methods.