Aniline-induced production of aniline-containing polyketides and related bicyclic polyketides by the Yellow River wetland-derived fungus Talaromyces funiculosus

INTRODUCTION AND METHODS: Silencing gene activation can effectively enrich the diversity of fungal secondary metabolites. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Cultivation of the Yellow River wetland-derived fungus Talaromyces funiculosus HPU-Y01 with aniline led to the isolation of one new aniline-containing polyketide tanicutone A (1), two new bicyclic polyketides tanicutones B-C (2–3), a new related trienoic acid 8-methyldeca-2,4,6-trienoic acid (5), and a known compound 4. The planar structures and configurations of 1–5 were determined by NMR, MS, and ECD calculations. Compound 2 featured a key aldehyde group and showed promising inhibitory activity against Vibrio parahaemolyticus with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 0.17 μg/mL. This is a rare report of aniline-induced fungal production of tetrahydronaphthone polyketides.