GERI-BP001 Compounds, New Inhibitors of Acyl-CoA: Cholesterol Acyltransferase from Aspergillus fumigatus F37

Acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT, EC 2.3.1.26) plays an important role in the control of intracellular free cholesterol content via its cholesterol esterifying activity. ACAT inhibitors are expected to be effective for treatment of atherosclerosis and hypercholesterolemia. In the course of a screening program for ACAT inhibitors from microbial sources, GERI-BP001 M, A, and B were isolated from the fermentation broth of a fungal strain. GERI-BP001 compounds were isolated from a culture broth of Aspergillus fumigatus F37 by acetone extraction, EtOAc extraction, SiO$_2$ column chromatography, and reverse phase HPLC. The structure of GERI-BP001 coumpounds were determined by $^1$H-NMR, $\^$l3/C-NMR, 2D-NMR, NOESY, and long range C-H COSY experiments. GERI-BP001 M, A, and B inhibit ACAT activity in an enzyme assay system using rat liver microsomes by 50% at concentrations of 75, 147, and 71 ${\mu}$M, respectively.