Chlorinated Dehydrocurvularins and Alterperylenepoxide A from Alternaria sp. AST0039, a Fungal Endophyte of Astragalus lentiginosus

Investigation of Alternaria sp. AST0039, an endophytic fungus obtained from the leaf tissue of Astragalus lentiginosus, led to the isolation of (−)-(10E,15S)-4,6-dichloro-10(11)-dehydrocurvularin (1), (−)-(10E,15S)-6-chloro-10(11)-dehydrocurvularin (2), (−)-(10E,15S)-10(11)-dehydrocurvularin (3), and alterperylenepoxide A (4) together with scytalone and α-acetylorcinol. Structures of 1 and 4 were established from their spectroscopic data, and the relative configuration of 4 was determined with the help of nuclear Overhauser effect difference data. All metabolites were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity and ability to induce heat-shock and unfolded protein responses. Compounds 2 and 3 exhibited cytotoxicity to all five cancer cell lines tested and increased the level of the pro-apoptotic transcription factor CHOP, but only 3 induced the heat-shock response and caused a strong unfolded protein response.