Anti-prion Butenolides and Diphenylpropanones from the Australian Ascidian Polycarpa procera

A library of 500 Australian marine invertebrate extracts was screened for anti-prion activity using a yeast-based assay, and this resulted in an extract from the ascidian Polycarpa procera showing potent activity. Purification of this extract led to the isolation of six new butenolide metabolites, the procerolides 1–4 and two related diphenylpropanones, the procerones 5 and 6, as the bioactive components. The structures of 1–6 were elucidated from the analysis of 1D/2D NMR and MS data, and their absolute configurations determined from comparison of experimental and computed ECD data. Compounds 1–6 were tested for anti-prion activity in a yeast-based assay, and 1 and 5 displayed potent bioactivity (EC₅₀ of 23 and 29 μM, respectively) comparable to the potently active anti-prion compound guanabenz. The procerolides and procerones are the first anti-prion compounds to be reported from ascidians, indicating that ascidians may be an untapped source of new lead anti-prion compounds.