New quinones and hydroquinones from Malbranchea cinnamomea HKI 286 and HKI 296 and interaction with tax/CREB expression system in yeast

In addition to malbranicin (1) and dihydromalbranicin (5), new substituted quinones 21 3, 6 and hydroquinone 4 were isolated from the culture brothes of two strains of Malbranchea cinnamomea. The chemical constitutions of new metabolites 2, 3, 4 and 6 were elucidated by optical spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and 1D/2D NMR spectroscopy. 2 (7-methoxymalbranicin) at a concentration of 42 mum inhibited by 67% Tax/CREB-mediated expression of beta-galactosidase in a recombinant strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.