Identification of secondary metabolites containing a diketopiperazine core in extracts from myxobacterial strains with growth inhibition activity against a range of prey species

Myxobacteria produce a variety of bioactive secondary metabolites, and with a wealth of under-researched species they hold vast potential for undiscovered compounds. With the ever-increasing need for new antibiotics, the development of novel therapeutics is vitally important. Therefore, this study aimed to extract and elucidate antimicrobial metabolites from the following myxobacteria: Myxococcus xanthus CA010 and AB022; Corallococcus exiguus DSM 14696(T); Myxococcus stipitatus DSM 14675(T); and Corallococcus aberystwythensis AB050A(T). Metabolite mixtures were extracted in acetone from XAD-16 resin incubated in liquid cultures and analysed using GC-MS. Bioactivity was identified using a growth inhibition assay against a panel of clinically relevant prey species including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and a fungus. Growth of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterococcus faecalis was most affected by the metabolite mixtures and the mixtures from AB022 and AB050A(T) were effective against the most prey. GC-MS analysis revealed metabolites with roles in the synthesis and degradation of amino acids and fatty acids, but also identified compounds A and B with a diketopiperazine (DKP) core. With previously confirmed bioactivity of compound A, it is suggested that these DKP compounds are contributing to the antimicrobial activity observed. Furthermore, many compounds could not be identified and so these unknowns present further potential for novel bioactive compounds.