SJN1 A-D, new glycolipids from the ant-associated bacterium, Deinococcus gobiensis sp.

Bacteria in insect symbiotic systems are considered as an uprising source of novel bioactive small molecules because of the huge biological and chemical diversity of insects and their symbiotic microbes. Our recent studies have focused on the ecosystem of the carpenter ant Camponotus japonicus. We isolated bacterial strains from queen specimen of C. japonicus and chemically analyzed their secondary metabolites by LC/MS. As a result, four new glycolipids, SJN1 A-D (1 – 4), were discovered by a Gram-negative bacterial strain belonging to Deinococcus gobiensis. The structures of SJN1 A-D were determined mainly through NMR and mass spectroscopic data. The relative configuration of amino sugar was elucidated by ¹H-¹H coupling constants and ROESY NMR spectral analysis. The biological evaluation is still under progress.