Antibiotic and Phytotoxic Activities of Ophiobolins from Helminthosporium Species

Twenty isolates of Helminthosporium species were obtained from various grass plants and tested for controlling efficacy on the development of plant diseases. An isolate of Helminthosporium sp. TP-4 was chosen and six antibiotic substances were purified from cultures of the fungus by repeated silica gel column chromatography and preparative thin-layer chromatography. They were identified as ophiobolin a, 6-epiophiobolin A, 3-anhydroophiobolin A, 3-anhydro-6-epiophiobolin A, iphiobolin B, and iphiobolin I mainly by mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. Ophiobolins inhibited the growth of a grampositive bacterium Streptomyces griseus, but were not active against gram-negative bacteria. They also showed an antifungal activity. In in vivo tests, iphiobolin B exhibited potent controlling activities against rice blast, tomato late blight, and wheat leaf rust with control values more than 90% and 70% at concentration of $500\mu\textrm{m}$/ml and 100 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$/ml. Ophiobolin A and 6-epiophiobolin A controlled the development of wheat leaf rust more than 80% at concentrations of 100 /ml and $500\mu\textrm{m}$/ml respectively. 3-Anhydro-6-epiophiobolin A was not active against any plant disease. On the other hand, the A-series ophiobolins other than 3-anhydroophiobolin A showed stronger phytotoxic activity in a leaf-wounding assay using 8 plant species than those of 3-anhydroophiobolin A, ophiobolin B, and ophiobolin I. The results indicate that there is little correlation between antifungal activity and phytotoxicity of ophiobolins.