Highly N-methylated linear peptides produced by an atypical sponge-derived Acremonium sp.

RHM1 (1) and RHM2 (2) are highly N-methylated linear octapeptides produced by an atypical strain of Acremonium sp., cultured from a marine sponge collected in Papua New Guinea. The known peptaibiotic efrapeptin G (3) was also isolated from this fungus. The planar structures of 1 and 2 were assigned based on 1D- and 2D-NMR experiments and fragmentation patterns from ESIMS. The absolute configuration of 1 was determined via Marfey's method; the absolute configuration of 2 is proposed to be identical. Efrapeptin G (3) displayed potent cytotoxicity against murine cancer cell lines, while RHM1 (1) and RHM2 (2) showed weak cytotoxicity against murine cancer cell lines; efrapeptin G (3) and RHM1 (1) also demonstrated antibacterial activity.