Antibiotics from basidiomycetes. XLI. Clavicoronic acid, a novel inhibitor of reverse transcriptases from Clavicorona pyxidata (Pers. ex Fr.) Doty.

A novel inhibitor of RNA-directed DNA-polymerases was isolated from fermentations of Clavicorona pyxidata. Its structure was elucidated by spectroscopic methods. Clavicoronic acid (1) is a noncompetitive inhibitor of avian myeloblastosis virus (Ki 130 microM) and Moloney murine leukemia virus (Ki 68 microM) reverse transcriptases. In permeabilized cells and isolated nucleic DNA- and RNA-synthesis are not affected. Clavicoronic acid markedly inhibits the multiplication of vesicular stomatitis virus in baby hamster kidney cells by interfering with this virus's RNA-directed RNA-polymerase. 1 exhibits no cytotoxic and very weak antimicrobial activities.