Eremophilane Sesquiterpenoids and Their Biological Activities

Eremophilane sesquiterpenoids constitute a structurally diverse class of C15 terpenes characterised by a bicyclic or tricyclic carbon framework often bearing multiple oxygenated functions. Originally discovered in higher plants, these metabolites have since been isolated from a wide array of fungal and bacterial sources. Advances in pathway elucidation have revealed that specific terpene cyclases generate the eremophilane skeleton, which is then tailored by oxidases, methyltransferases and glycosyltransferases to yield a spectrum of derivatives. Their unique ring systems and substituent patterns underpin a rich palette of biological activities, including cytotoxic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. Emerging biosynthetic engineering efforts exploit heterologous expression and enzyme mining to generate novel congeners, while high-throughput spectroscopic and computational methods accelerate structural assignment. The global significance of eremophilanes lies in their potential as lead compounds for oncology, anti-infectives and inflammation modulation, as well as probes for understanding terpene biosynthesis and enzyme mechanisms.

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Eremophilane Sesquiterpenoids and Their Biological Activities publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in eremophilane sesquiterpenoids and their biological activities across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Sesquiterpenoid: A terpene containing 15 carbon atoms, biosynthesised from three isoprene units.

OSMAC: “One strain–many compounds” methodology that alters culture conditions to induce diverse secondary metabolites.

Heterologous expression: Production of a gene product in a non-native host organism to study or exploit biosynthesis.

ECD (Electronic Circular Dichroism): A spectroscopic technique used to determine the absolute configuration of chiral molecules.

HRESIMS: High-resolution electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry for precise molecular weight determination.

References

1. Rapid discovery of terpene tailoring enzymes for total biosynthesis. Chemical Science (2023).
2. Discovery of new eremophilanes from the marine-derived fungus Emericellopsis maritima BC17 by culture conditions changes: evaluation of cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities. Frontiers in Marine Science (2024).
3. Eremophilane- and Acorane-Type Sesquiterpenes from the Deep-Sea Cold-Seep-Derived Fungus Furcasterigmium furcatum CS-280 Cultured in the Presence of Autoclaved Pseudomonas aeruginosa QDIO-4. Marine Drugs (2024).