Taumycins A and B, two bioactive lipodepsipeptides from the Madagascar sponge Fascaplysinopsis sp.

Two closely related lipodepsipeptides, taumycins A and B (1 and 2) have been isolated from the Madagascar sponge Fascaplysinopsis sp. The two compounds have the same 12-membered oxodepsipeptide ring system in common. Both were toxic to brine shrimp larvae, and taumycin A (1 mu M), but not taumycin B, inhibited growth of the human UT-7 leukemic cell line. The structure of the two compounds, likely to be derived from microorganisms, was established by MS and 1D and 2D NMR data.