Antibiotic agents

A new antibiotic cyclic lipopeptide and a method of producing it are described. The agent has very high activity against human pathogens and is of very low mammalian toxicity.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is directed to a compound having the formula 
##STR1## 
The structure of the compounds has been determined by detailed analyses of 
the spectral characteristics. 
MASS SPECTRAL DATA 
Electron impact (EI) mass spectral data were obtained either on a 
Finnigan-MAT MAT 212 mass spectrometer at 90 eV or Finnigan-MAT TSQ70 at 
70 eV. Fast atom bombardment (FAB) spectra were recorded on a Finnigan-MAT 
MAT90 instrument using dithiothreitol: dithioerythritol (MB) or MB 
containing cesium iodide. 
Compound I 
Gas Chromatograph mass spectura (GC-MS) of the trimethylsilyl (TMS) 
derivative of the total acid hydrolysate disclosed one equivalent each of 
threonine, 3-hydroxyproline, 4-hydroxyproline, 3-hydroxyglutamic acid, and 
a C16:0 fatty acid. This compound has the molecular weight 1032 by FAB-MS 
(observed [M+H].sup.+ at m/z 1033; [M+Cs].sup.+ at m/z 1165). The 
empirical formula C.sub.50 H.sub.80 N.sub.8 O.sub.15 was determined by 
high resolution FAB from the [M+Cs]+ ion: calculated 1032.5743, found 
1032.5805. 
NMR SPECTRAL DATA 
.sup.1 H NMR Spectra were recorded at 21.degree. C. in CD.sub.3 OD at 
temperature on a Varian XL-400 NMR spectrometer at 400 MHz. Chemical 
shifts are shown in ppm relative to tetramethylsilane (TMS) at zero ppm 
using the solvent peak at 3.30 ppm as internal reference. 
.sup.3 C NMR Spectra were recorded in CD.sub.3 OD at 21.degree. C. on a 
Varian XL-400 spectrometer at 100 MHz. Chemical shifts are given in ppm 
relative to tetramethylsilane (TMS) at zero ppm using the solvent peak at 
49.0 ppm as internal reference. 
.sup.1 H NMR obtained in CD.sub.3 OD is seen in FIG. 1. 
.sup.13 C NMR Chemical Shifts (CD.sub.3 OD, 100 MHz): 11.57, 19.77, 20.18, 
20.72, 24.23, 27.02, 27.57, 28.03, 30.27, 30.35, 30.54, 30.75, 31.11, 
31.25, 32.92, 34.49, 36.74, 37,86, 38.06, 38.58, 39.86, 45.94, 46.89, 
52.83, 55.59, 56.65, 57.20, 58.38, 62.47, 68.07, 69.88, 70.66, 71.27, 
74.33, 75.85, 76.79, 116.2(x2), 129.6(x2), 133.1, 158.5, 169.6, 172.4, 
172.6, 172.9, 173.6, 175.3, 176.1, 176.8 ppm. 
On the basis of these and other data, Compound I is believed with 
considerable certainty to have the structure indicated. 
The compound is a white solid, soluble in organic solvents such as 
methanol, ethanol, dimethylformamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, ethyl acetate 
and the like. 
The compound of this invention has antifungal properties against both 
filamentous fungi and yeasts. It is particularly useful against organisms 
causing pathogenic mycotic infections such as Candida albicans, Candida 
rugosa, Candida parapsilosis and the like, where high activity is 
exhibited over a panel of strains of the organisms. 
Moreover, unlike a number of antifungal agents, such as amphotericin B, 
which while active against Candida albicans and other fungal pathogens are 
limited in their ability because of the untoward and dangerous side 
effects, the antifungal agent of the present invention is not only a very 
effective but is substantially free of undesirable side reactions. 
Red blood cell lysis, a harmful and potentially fatal side reaction is 
shown by many compounds at concentrations approaching the therapeutic dose 
and this property has limited the applicability of these compounds as 
drugs. The compounds of the present invention would require a 
concentration of drug far above that required for therapeutic use before 
red blood cell lysis could occur. 
The compound is also effective antifungally against filamentous fungi, 
especially Cochliobolus miyabeanus, Aspergillus species, Penicillium 
species, Fusarium species, Alternaria species, Neurospora species and the 
like. 
The compound of formula (I) are also useful as an agent for the treatment 
of Pneumocystis carinii, the causative agent of pneumonia of particular 
severity to immune compromised patients such as those with acquired immune 
deficiency syndrome (AIDS). 
Compounds I is conveniently produced by cultivating Zalerion arboricola 
ATCC 20958, deposited under the Budapest Treaty in the Culture Collection 
of the American Type Culture Collection at 12301 Parklawn Drive, 
Rockville, Md. 20852. 
Zalerion arboricola ATCC 20958 is a mutagenized form of Zalerion arboricola 
ATCC 20868. While Compounds I may be formed on the cultivation of Z. 
arboricola ATCC 20868, it is not readily detectable and is not formed in 
readily isolatable amounts. 
The major product on the cultivation of Z. arboricola ATCC 20868 is 
Compound X 
##STR2## 
Compound X is the subject of copending application Ser. No. 362,647, filed 
June 7, 1989, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 105,795 
filed Oct. 10, 1987, now abandoned. 
The discovery of Compound I was made possible by cultivation of Z. 
arboricola ATCC 20958. The mutant Z. arboricola ATCC 20958 may be produced 
by treating a spore suspension of Z. arboricola ATCC 20868 with a mutagen, 
followed by plating, incubating and isolating as hereinafter more fully 
described. Although about a hundred different mutants were obtained by the 
procedure, only one mutant was found to accomplish the results achieved by 
the present invention. This culture, which is identified in the Merck 
Culture Collection as MF 5405, has been deposited in the permanent culture 
collection of the American Type Culture Collection, 2301 Parklawn Drive, 
Rockville, Md. 20852 and is accessible under the accession number ATCC 
20958. 
For the production of the mutant, any of the agents commonly used to 
produce mutants such as ultraviolet radiation, chemical mutagen, or 
intercalating agent may be employed. Suitable chemical mutagnes include 
N-nitroso-N-methylurethane and N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. 
In the present instance the Z. arboricola mutant was obtained by treating a 
spore suspension of Z. arboricola ATCC 20868 in 0.3M 
tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (TRIS) buffer with 
N-nitroso-N-methylurethane, plating the treated suspension on potato 
dextrose agar and incubating to develop colonies, thereafter isolating the 
colonies, transferring the separate colonies to slants of potato dextrose 
agar and incubating for 10 to 14 days to obtain cultures of mutants of Z. 
arboricola, one of which was tentatively identified as Z1-18, subsequently 
maintained in the Merck Culture Collection as MF 5405, and presently 
available as ATCC 20958. 
The colonial and morphological description of Z. arboricola ATCC 20958 are 
as follows: 
Colonies on potato-dextrose agar (Difco) at 20.degree. C. slow-growing, 
attaining a diameter of 8-12 mm in one week. Mature colonies (3-4 weeks) 
on potato-dextrose agar effuse, with submerged and aerial hyphae, surface 
hairy, lanose, or funiculose, dull to moderately shiny, forming raised, 
densely compact colonies, with a substromatic texture due to dense conidia 
formation. Colony color pale olive-brown, olive, olive-brown, finally 
olive-black, Isabella Color, Sayal Brown, Tawny-olive, Saccardo's Umber, 
Sepia, Brownish Olive, Raw Umber, Dark Olive, Olivaceous Black 
(capitalized color names from R. Ridgway. 1912. Color Standards and 
Nomenclature, Washington, D.C.). Same colors in colony reverse. Odor, 
exudates, and soluble pigments absent. 
Hyphae (in 3% KOH) pale yellow-brown to olive-brown, septate, branched, 
often with irregular lateral or terminal lobes, 1-3 um wide, thin- to 
slightly thick-walled, with walls smooth to slightly incrusted or 
verrucose. Aerial hyphae often adhering together in facicles. Setae and 
hyphopodia absent. 
Conidiogeneous cells monoblastic, scattered to dense, intrgrated, terminal 
and intercalary, arising directly from undifferentiated hyphae, at right 
to slightly acute angles. Conidia originating as irregular chains, 
filaments, or coils, later developing as compact, irregular masses of 6-25 
cells. Individual conidial cells, 3-6 um in diameter, globose, subglobose, 
or slightly irregular to lobed, smooth to finely verruculose, yellow-brown 
to olive brown. 
Compound I is obtained by cultivating Z. arboricola ATCC 20958 in a 
suitable nutrient medium under conditions hereinafter described until a 
substantial amount of antifungal activity is detected in the culture 
medium, harvesting by extracting the active components from the 
fermentation medium with a suitable solvent, concentrating the solution 
containing the desired component, then subjecting the concentrated 
material to chromatographic separation to isolate Compound I from other 
metabolites also present in the cultivation medium. 
PRODUCTION 
Compound I is produced by cultivating Z. arboricola MF 20958 in a suitable 
nutrient medium containing sources of carbon and nitrogen assimilable by 
the microorganism and also containing low levels of inorganic salts. The 
medium may be supplemented with trace metals, although if complex sources 
of carbon and nitrogen are employed, the trace metals are usually present 
in the complex sources. 
The sources of carbon include glycerol, sugars, sugar alcohols, starches 
and other carbohydrates, or carbohydrate derivatives such as dextran, 
cerelose, as well as complex nutrients such as oat flour, corn meal, 
millet, corn and the like. The exact quantity of the carbon source which 
is utilized in the medium will depend, in part, upon the other ingredients 
in the medium, but it is usually found that an amount of carbohydrate 
between 0.5 and 40 percent by weight of the medium is satisfactory. These 
carbon sources can be used individually or several such carbon sources may 
be combined in the same medium. 
The sources of nitrogen include amino acids such as glycine, arginine, 
threonine, methionine and the like, ammonium salt, as well as complex 
sources such as yeast hydrolysates, yeast autolysates, yeast cells, tomato 
paste, soybean meal, casein hydrolysates, yeast extracts, corn steep 
liquors, distillers solubles, cottonseed meal, meat extract, and the like. 
The various sources of nitrogen can be used alone or in combination in 
amounts ranging from 0.2 to 10 per cent by weight of the medium. 
Among the nutrient inorganic salts, which can be incorporated in the 
culture media are the customary salts capable of yielding sodium, 
potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphate, sulfate, chloride, carbonate, 
and like ions. Also included are trace metals such as cobalt, manganese, 
iron, molybdenum, zinc, cadmium, and the like. 
Although the growth medium may be prepared in a conventional manner from 
the foregoing nutrients, the presence of certain nutrients and/or 
combination of nutrients favor the production of Compound I. Thus, 
ammonium salts are important as an immediate source of nitrogen and 
monobasic potassium phosphate is important for pH control. Mannitol is 
especially useful in compositions, not only for enhancing the amount of 
desired product formed but also in improving the rate of production of the 
desired product. 
The cultivation medium may be either liquid or solid. 
Representatives suitable mannitol containing media for production of 
Compound I are the following: 
______________________________________ 
RG2 MEDIUM per liter RG120 MEDIUM per liter 
______________________________________ 
Mannitol 44 g Mannitol 91 g 
Corn Steep Liquor 
4 g Corn Steep Liquor 
4 ml 
Lard Water 4 g Lard Water 4 g 
Pectin 10 g Pectin 10 g 
KH.sub.2 PO.sub.4 
2 g KH.sub.2 PO.sub.4 
2 g 
Tomato Paste 
4 g Tomato Paste 
4 g 
Peptonized Milk 
4 g Peptonized Milk 
4 g 
Glycine 2 g Glycine 2 g 
Peanut Meal 4 g Peanut Meal 4 g 
pH adjusted to 7.0 pH adjusted to 7.0 
TG102 MEDIUM 
per liter TG103 MEDIUM per liter 
______________________________________ 
D-Mannitol 40 g D-Mannitol 40 g 
Bacto-Peptone* 
33 g Bacto-Peptone* 
33 g 
Bacto-Yeast Extract 
10 g Bacto-Yeast Extract 
10 g 
(NH.sub.4).sub.2 SO.sub.4 
5 g (NH.sub.4).sub.2 SO.sub.4 
5 g 
KH.sub.2 PO.sub.4 
9 g KH.sub.2 PO.sub.4 
9 g 
no pH adjustment no pH adjustment 
______________________________________ 
*Casein hydroysateHumko Sheffield, Memphis, Tenn. 
Other media which favor the production of the compounds of formula I are 
those with contain D-mannitol as carbon source, peptonized milk as the 
complex nitrogen source, glycine as amino acid and a buffer, and 
preferably containing lactic acid, trace elements and vegetable oil 
selected from, soy, peanut and sunflower oils, has been the most 
satisfactory. The useful ranges for the components are as follows: 
______________________________________ 
grams/liter 
______________________________________ 
D-mannitol 20-100 
KH.sub.2 PO.sub.4 0.5-3 
glycine 1-4 
Peptonized milk 2-20 
Lactic acid 0-3 
Trace element mixture 
0-15 ml 
Vegetable oil 0-20 
(soy, peanut, sunflower) 
pre-sterilization pH = 7 
Trace elements per liter 0.6NHCl 
______________________________________ 
FeSO.sub.4.7H.sub.2 O 
1.0 g 
MnSO.sub.4.4H.sub.2 O 
1.0 g 
CuCl.sub.2.2H.sub.2 O 
0.025 g 
CaCl.sub.2 0.1 g 
H.sub.3 BO.sub.3 0.056 g 
(NH.sub.4).sub.6 Mo.sub.7 O.sub.24.H.sub.2 O 
0.019 g 
ZnSO.sub.4.7H.sub.2 O 
0.2 g 
______________________________________ 
Specific media include: 
______________________________________ 
S2 MEDIUM per liter S6 MEDIUM per liter 
______________________________________ 
D-Mannitol 44 g D-Mannitol 44 g 
KH.sub.2 PO.sub.4 
2 g KH.sub.2 PO.sub.4 
2 g 
Glycine 2 g Glycine 2 g 
Peptonized Milk 
15 g Peptonized Milk 
15 g 
Lactic acid 2 g Lactic acid 10 ml 
Trace Elements 
10 ml Trace Elements 
10 g 
Soybean oil 10 g 
pH 7.0 pH 7.0 
(pre-sterilization) (pre-sterilization) 
______________________________________ 
Representative of useful solid media are the following: 
______________________________________ 
per 250 ml 
flask Base liquid per liter 
______________________________________ 
F204 SOLID MEDIUM 
Millet 15 g Ardamine PH (**) 
33.0 g 
Base liquid 
15 ml Sodium Tartrate 6.6 g 
FeSO.sub.4.7H.sub.2 O 
0.66 g 
Monosodium Glutamate 
6.6 ml 
Corn oil 6.6 ml 
no pH adjustment 
F4-SF SOLID MEDIUM 
Cracked corn 
15 g Ardamine PH 0.2 g 
Base liquid 
10 ml H.sub.2 PO.sub.4 
0.1 g 
MgSO.sub.4.7H.sub.2 O 
0.1 g 
Sodium Tartrate 0.1 g 
FeSO.sub.4.7H.sub.2 O 
0.01 g 
ZnSO.sub.4.7H.sub.2 O 
0.01 g 
no pH adjustment 
______________________________________ 
**Yeast autolysate available from Yeast Products Inc. Clifton, New Jersey 
Employing one of the foregoing or similar medium, the fermentation may be 
carried out by first inoculating a nutrient seed medium, with a previously 
thawed vegetative mycelia of Z. arboricola ATCC 20958, and the inoculated 
medium incubated for at least 3 days to produce organisms which serve as 
seeds in the production of the compounds of formula (I). The seed medium 
is generally in the pH range of 5 to 8.1, optimally 6 to 7.5. A 
representative seed medium is one of the following composition: 
______________________________________ 
Seed Medium (KF Medium) 
per liter 
______________________________________ 
Corn Steep liquor 
5.0 g 
Tomato paste 40.0 g 
Oat f1our 10.0 g 
Glucose 10.0 g 
Trace elements* 10.0 ml 
Distilled water 1000 ml 
pH 6.8 
______________________________________ 
*Previously given 
In carrying out the process, a slant section of a preserved culture of ATCC 
20958 is inoculated into an appropriate seed medium and the flasks 
incubated with or without agitation at temperatures in the range of from 
about 15.degree. C. to about 30.degree. C. for from 2 to 30 days, 
preferably 20.degree. C. to 28.degree. C. for 2 to 14 days. Agitation when 
employed is preferably about 200 to 220 rpm but may be up to 400 rpm when 
growth is abundant, usually between 2 and 5 days, the growth may be used 
to inoculate the production medium for the production of the compounds of 
this invention. Preferably however, a second stage fermentation is carried 
out, inoculating with a portion of the culture growth and then employing 
similar conditions but generally with a shortened incubation period of 
about 1 to 3 days. The growth then is employed to inoculate the production 
medium. 
The fermentation production medium inoculated with the culture growth is 
incubated for 3 to 30 days, usually 7 to 14 days, with or without 
agitation. The fermentation may be conducted aerobically at temperatures 
ranging from about 20.degree. C. to about 40.degree. C. For optimum 
results, it is most convenient to conduct these fermentations at a 
temperature in the range of from about 24.degree. C. to about 30.degree. 
C. Temperatures of about 24.degree.-28.degree. C. are most preferred. The 
pH of the nutrient medium suitable for producing the instant compounds can 
vary from about 5.0 to 8.5 with a preferred range of from about 6.0 to 
7.5. After the appropriate period for the production of the desired 
compound or compounds, the latter is recovered from the fermentation 
medium as hereinafter more fully described. 
HARVEST AND ISOLATION 
After completion of the cultivation, Compound I is harvested and isolated 
from the medium. The exact steps may vary somewhat on whether the 
fermentation is carried out in liquid or solid medium. 
When the fermentation is carried out on a solid medium, the first step may 
be adding an alcoholic solvent to the fermentation medium, thoroughly 
mixing, then filtering, recovering and concentrating the aqueous alcohol 
filtrate. The concentrated filtrate may be first back-extractd or washed 
with a lower aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent such as hexane or other alkane 
to remove alkane soluble impurities. The alkane washed filtrate may be 
extracted or partitioned with a water-immiscible oxygenated organic 
solvent and the resulting solution concentrated, then placed onto a column 
for at least one, generally several chromatographic separation steps. 
Suitable columns are silica gel, reverse phase resin and "Sephadex" LH-20 
(dextran adsorbent, Pharmacia). 
When the fermentation is carried out in a liquid medium, in one method, the 
mycelial solids are filtered and recovered from the fermentation medium. 
Alcohol is added to the mycelial cake, and the mycelial solid thoroughly 
mixed with the alcohol, filtered, and the filtrate collected and 
concentrated. In an alternative method, the whole broth can be extracted 
by the addition of one volume of alkanol, preferably methanol, and 
filtered to remove solid impurities. The alkanol extract is then absorbed 
on "Diaion" HP-20 (Mitsubishi Chemical Industries, Ltd) resin and eluted 
with 100% alkanol. "Diaion" SP-207 (brominated) or other commercially 
available styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer also may be employed. A second 
dilution/HP-20 adsorption/elution step is utilized to concentrate the 
sample in preparation for chromatographic separations. Sometimes, a third 
dilution/HP-20 adsorption/elution step may be desirable for volume 
reduction. 
The alcoholic solvent to be employed in the initial extraction of the 
active agent from the solid nutrient medium or from the mycelial pad may 
be any of the lower alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, and 
the like. Methanol is preferred. 
If the active agent is partitioned from the aqueous alkanol or aqueous 
methanol solution, then suitable solvents are esters, such as ethyl 
acetate, isopropyl acetate, butyl acetate, or ketones, such as methyl 
ethyl ketone. 
The chromatographic separation may be carried out by employing conventional 
column chromatography with non-ionic resin or by high performance liquid 
chromatography employing reverse phase resin. The fractions containing the 
antibiotic Compound I may be detected by antifungal assay using Candida 
albicans. Generally, more than one chromatographic separation steps are 
employed. In a most preferred procedure, one or more separations are 
carried out employing column chromatography and a final separation is 
carried out employing high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with 
C.sub.18 reverse phase resin. 
When conventional column chromatography is employed for chromatographic 
separations, silica gel is the preferred adsorbent. Usually more than one 
chromatographic separation is employed. Silica gel may be used in all the 
separations while employing different eluting agents. However, it may be 
combined advantageously with the use of a different adsorbent such as a 
dextran adsorbent sold under the trade name of "Sephadex" LH-20. Other 
adsorbents such as alumina, styrene-divinylbenzene copolymers available 
commercially as "Diaion" HP-20, HP-30, HP-40, SP-207 and "Amberlite" 
XAD-2, XAD-2, XAD-4, XAD-16 (Rohm and Haas Co.) also may be employed. 
In the fractionation and recovery of the active component by chromatography 
on silica gel, ester/alcohol mixtures with increasing concentration of 
alcohol provide good separations. A mixture of ethyl acetate and methanol 
has been found to be especially useful. These may be employed in 
isocratic, step gradient or continuous gradient systems. When a dextran 
adsorbent such as "Sephadex" LH-20, is employed, a 
chlorohydrocarbon/hydrocarbon/alcohol solvent system may be employed. A 
mixture of methylene chloride/hexane/methanol has been found to be 
especially useful. 
In carrying out the HPLC separation, the alcohol solution containing 
material recovered from the conventional chromatography is concentrated 
and the residue dissolved in methanol/water in the same ratio as found in 
the mobile phase and placed on a column packed with commercial reverse 
phase resin or on a column filled with silica gel/C.sub.18 reverse phase 
resin prepared as amply reported in the literature. Alternatively, the 
alcohol solution may be diluted to 50 percent with water and pumped onto 
the column. The column is washed using methanol/water 1:1 and eluted with 
higher proportions of methanol at 800-2000 psi which produces a flow rate 
of about 20 ml/min. Separation is monitored at 210 nm. 
The fractions are assayed for activity with Candida albicans. The product 
is recovered from any of the chromatographic procedures by combining the 
Candida albicans active fractions and concentrating under reduced 
pressure. 
Compound I is active against many fungi, and also against Pneumocystis 
carinii. 
The antifungal properties may be illustrated with the minimum fungicidal 
concentration (MFC) determinations against certain Candida organisms in a 
microbroth dilution assay carried out in Yeast Nitrogen Base (Difco) with 
1 percent dextrose (YNBD). In carrying out the assay, Compound I was 
solubilized in 10 percent dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and diluted to 2560 
.mu.g/ml. The compound was then diluted to 256 .mu.g/ml in YNBD. 0.15 ml 
of the suspension was dispensed to the top row of a 96-well plate (each 
well containing 0.15 ml of YNDB) resulting in a drug concentration of 128 
.mu.g/ml. Two-fold dilutions were then made from the top row to obtain 
final drug concentratons ranging from 128 to 0.06 .mu.g/ml. 
The yeast cultures, maintained on Sabouraud dextrose agar were transferred 
to YM broth (Difco) and incubated overnight at 35.degree. C. with shaking 
(250 rpm). After incubation, each culture was diluted in sterile water to 
yield a final concentration of 1-5.times.10.sup.6 colony forming units 
(CFU)/ml. 
96-well microplates were inoculated using a MIC-2000 (Dynatech) which 
delivers 1.5 .mu.l per well yielding a final inoculum per well of 
1.5-7.5.times.10.sup.3 cells. The microplates were incubated at 35.degree. 
C. for 24 hours. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were 
recorded as the lowest concentrations of drug showing no visible growth. 
After recording the MIC, the plates were shaken to resuspend the cells. 
Thereafter, 1.5 .mu.l samples from the wells in the 96-well microplate 
were transferred to a single well tray containing Sabouraud dextrose agar. 
The inoculated trays were incubated 24 hours at 28.degree. C. and then 
read. The MFC is defined as the lowest concentration of drug showing no 
growth or less than 4 colonies per spot. The results are seen in the 
following table: 
______________________________________ 
Minimum Fungicidal 
Concentration 
Fungi (.mu.g/ml) 
Strain No. I 
______________________________________ 
Candida albicans 
MY 1055 32 
MY 1585 32 
MY 1208 32 
MY 1028 16 
MY 1750 16 
MY 1783 16 
Candida tropicalis 
MY 1012 32 
Candida parapsilosis 
MY 1009 128 
MY 1010 64 
______________________________________ 
Compound I is useful for inhibiting or alleviating Pneumocystis carinii 
infections. In a representative study, the effectiveness of Compound I in 
rats were determined. Sprague-Dawley rats (weighing approximatley 150 g) 
were immunosuppressed with dexasone in the drinking water (2 mg/ml) and 
maintained on a low protein diet for 6 weeks to induce the development of 
pneumocystis pneumonia from a latent infection. Before drug treatment 3 
rats were sacrificed to confirm the presence of Pneumocystis carinii 
pneumonia (PCP); all three rats had infections. A group of 5 rats were 
injected twice daily for five days intraperitioneally with compound in 0.5 
ml of vehicle (10% DMSO in water). The control group of 5 rats received 
vehicle alone. All animals continued to receive dexasone in the drinking 
water and low protein diet during the drug treatment period. At the 
completion of treatment all animals were sacrificed, the lungs were 
removed and processed, and the extent of disease determined by microscopic 
analysis of stained slides. The results of this study show that Compound I 
had good antipneumocystis activity with an ED.sub.90 of .ltoreq.1.0 
mg/kg. 
The outstanding properties are most effectively utilized when the compound 
is formulated into novel pharmaceutical compositions with a 
pharmaceutically acceptable carrier according to conventional 
pharmaceutical compounding techniques. 
The novel compositions contain at least a therapeutic antifungal or 
antipneumocystis amount of the active compound. Generally, the composition 
contains at least 1 percent of weight of Compound I. Concentrate 
compositions suitable for dilutions prior to use may contain 90 percent or 
more by weight. The compositions include compositions suitable for oral, 
rectal, topical, parenteral (including subcutaneous, intramuscular, and 
intravenous), pulmonary (nasal or buccal inhalation), nasal 
administration, or insufflation. The compositions may be prepacked by 
intimately mixing Compound I with the components suitable for the medium 
desired. 
When the compound is for antifungal use any method of administration may be 
used. For treating mycotic infection oral administration is frequently 
preferred. When oral administration is to be employed, it may be with a 
liquid composition. For liquid preparations, the therapeutic agent is 
formulated with liquid carriers such as water, glycols, oils, alcohols, 
and the like, and for solid preparations such as capsules and tablets, 
solid carriers such as starches, sugars, kaolin, ethyl cellulose, calcium 
and sodium carbonate, calcium phosphate, kaolin, talc, lactose, generally 
with lubricant such as calcium stearate, together with binders, 
disintegrating agents and the like. Because of their ease in 
administration, tablets and capsules represent the most advantageous oral 
dosage form. It is especially advantageous to formulate the compositions 
in unit dosage form (as hereinafter defined) for ease of administration 
and uniformity of dosage. Composition in unit dosage form constitutes an 
aspect of the present invention. 
The Compound I also may be formulated in therapeutic compositions for 
intravenous or intraperitoneal injection and may be presented in unit 
dosage form in ampoules or in multidose containers, if necessary with an 
added preservative. The compositions may also take such forms as 
suspensions, solutions or emulsions in oily or aqueous vehicles such as 
0.85 percent sodium chloride or 5 percent dextrose in water, and may 
contain formulating agents such as suspending stabilizing and/or 
dispersing agents. Buffering agents as well as additives such as saline or 
glucose may be added to make the solutions isotonic. The drug also may be 
solubilized in alcohol/propylene glycol or polyethyleglycol for drip 
intravenous administration. Alternatively, the active ingredients may be 
in powder form for reconstituting with a suitable vehicle prior to 
administration. 
The term "unit dosage form" as used in the specification and claims refer 
to physically discrete units, each unit containing a predetermined 
quantity of active ingredient calculated to produce the desired 
therapeutic effect in association with the pharmaceutical carrier. 
Examples of such unit dosage forms are tablets, capsules, pills, powder 
packets, wafers, measured units in ampoules or in multidose containers and 
the like. A unit dosage of the present invention will generally contain 
from 100 to 200 milligrams of one of the compounds. 
When the compound is to be employed for control of pneumocystis infections 
it is desirable to directly treat lung and bronchi. For this reason, 
inhalation methods are preferred. For administration by inhalation, the 
compounds of the present invention are conveniently delivered in the form 
of an aerosol spray presentation from pressurized packs of nebulisers. The 
compounds may also be delivered as powders which may be formulated and the 
powder composition may be inhaled with the aid of an insufflation powder 
inhaler device. The preferred delivery system for inhalation is a metered 
dose inhalation (MDI) aerosol, which may be formulated as a suspension or 
solution of Compound I in suitable propellants, such as fluorocarbons or 
hydrocarbons. 
Another method of administration is insufflation, particularly if the 
infection has spread to the ears and other body cavities. 
If the application is to be topical, the drug may be formulated in 
conventional creams and ointments such as white petrolatum, anhydrous 
lanolin, cetyl alcohol, cold cream, glyceryl monostearate, rose water and 
the like. Usually a 1 to 2 percent cream solution is prepared and applied 
to the area to be treated.

The following examples illustrate the invention but are not to be construed 
as limiting. 
EXAMPLE I 
A. Preparation of Mutant Z. arboricola ATCC 20958 
A culture of Z. arboricola ATCC 20868 was grown on potato dextrose agar in 
petri plates at 25.degree. C. for 3 weeks. 10 milliliters of 0.3M TRIS 
buffer, pH 7, was added to the plates and the spores scraped off the 
surface into the buffer with a sterile cotton swab. The suspension in the 
buffer was decanted off and the procedure repeated twice. The spore 
suspensions were combined and filtered through glass wool to remove large 
clusters of spores. The filtrate was centrifuged at first at 600 rpm then 
at 700 rpm and finally at 800 rpm, each time for 3 minutes with the pellet 
being discarded after each centrifugation. The supernatant from the third 
centrifugation was then centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 5 minutes. The pellet 
from this centrifugation was resuspended in 3 milliliters of 0.3M TRIS 
buffer, pH 7, and used for mutagenic treatment. This suspension contained 
from 10.sup.3 to 10.sup.4 spores per milliliter. 
To the spore suspension was added 50 .mu.g/ml of N-nitroso-N-methylurethane 
and the resulting mixture shaken at 300 rpm for 20 minutes at room 
temperature. At the end of this period, the mixture was centrifuged and 
the supernatant liquid was removed. The pellet was washed twice with 0.3M 
TRIS buffer pH 7.0 and then resuspended in the same buffer and after 
appropriate dilution plated on potato dextrose agar for forming isolated 
colonies. The plates were incubated at 25.degree. C. for two weeks for 
colony formation. The colonies were isolated by separately transferring to 
slants of potato dextrose agar. The inoculated slants were incubated at 
25.degree. C. for 10-14 days and a plug from the slants taken and tested 
for the production of Compound X and other components by HPLC assay. A 
plug from one of the slants initially designated as Z1-18, and 
subsequently placed in the Merck Culture Collection as MF 5405 and 
thereafter deposited with the American Type Culture Collection and 
assigned ATCC 20958, was employed in fermentation to produce Compound I as 
hereinafter described. 
EXAMPLE II 
A suspension of spores from a slant culture of MF 5405 was inoculated into 
a 250 milliliter Erlenmeyer flask containing 54 milliliters of KF seed 
medium (previously detailed) which had been sterilized for 20 minutes at 
121.degree. C. and 15 psi. 
The inoculated seed flask was incubated at 25.degree. C. with shaking at 
220 rpm for 96 hours. At the end of this time 7 milliliters of this 
culture were transferred to a 2-liter flask containing 500 milliliters of 
the seed medium. The flask was cultivated at 25.degree. C. with shaking at 
220 rpm for another 96 hours. At this time, 10 milliliters of the culture 
was transferred to another 2-liter Erlenmeyer flask containing 500 
milliliters of seed medium and this flask was incubated at 25.degree. C. 
with shaking at 200 rpm for 72 hours. Then, the entire contents of the 
flask was transferred to a 22-liter bioreactor containing 15 liters of 
production medium of the following composition (expressed in grams per 
liter): mannitol, 40.0; NZ amine (Type E), 33.0; yeast extract (Fidco), 
10.0; (NH.sub.4).sub.2 SO.sub.4, 5.0; KH.sub.2 PO.sub.4, 9.0 and P2000 
(polyethylene glycol, Dow Chemical); 2.0 milliliters. The medium was 
sterilized without adjusting the pH at 122.degree. C. and 15 psi for 30 
minutes. The pH of the medium after sterilization was 6.6. 
The inoculated medium was then cultivated at 25.degree. C., with agitation 
at 300 rpm, air flow of 4.5 liters per minute and a back pressure of 5 
psi. After 165 hours, the fermentation broth was harvested for product 
recovery. 
The fermentation broth was extracted by stirring overnight with an equal 
volume of methanol. The methanol extract was filtered through a 1-inch bed 
of celite and the filtrate adsorbed onto a 4-liter "Diaion" SP-207 column. 
The column was washed with 65 percent aqueous methanol and Compound I 
eluted with 100 percent methanol. The eluant fractions were checked for 
the presence of Compound I by using HPLC assay ("Zorbax" RP-18 analytical 
column, 4.6 mm.times.25 cm; 50/50 acetonitrile/water; retention time=11.7 
minutes). The rich cuts, which amounted to 0.96 gram of Compound I, were 
combined and diluted with distilled water to a final concentration of 50 
percent aqueous methanol and adsorbed onto a "Diaion" HP-20 column. The 
column was washed with 65 percent aqueous methanol and eluted with 100 
percent methanol. The eluants were monitored for the presence of Compound 
I using the same HPLC assay method. The cuts rich in Compound I were 
combined, concentrated to dryness under vacuum and chromatographed on a 4 
liter preparative liquid chromatography column using a linear gradient 
(50/50 methanol/water to 100 percent methanol over a 1 hour period). The 
fractions were checked for the presence of Compound I and the rich cuts 
combined and further purified on a semi-preparative RP-18 LC column 
("Zorbax" 2.54 cm.times.25 cm; 70/30 methanol/water). The product thus 
obtained of greater than 95 percent purity was employed to determine the 
NMR spectra and mass spectrum for the compound and to obtain the values 
previously set forth. 
EXAMPLE III 
1000 compressed tablets, each containing 500 milligrams of Compound I are 
prepared from the following formulation: 
______________________________________ 
Compound Grams 
______________________________________ 
Compound I 500 
Starch 750 
Dibasic calcium phoshate hydrous 
5000 
Calcium stearate 2.5 
______________________________________ 
The finely powered ingredients are mixed well and granulated with 10 
percent starch paste. The granulation is dried and compressed into 
tablets. 
EXAMPLE IV 
1000 hard gelatin capsules, each containing 500 milligrams of Compound I 
are prepared from the following formulation: 
______________________________________ 
Compound Grams 
______________________________________ 
Compound I 500 
Starch 250 
Lactose 750 
Talc 250 
Calcium stearate 10 
______________________________________ 
A uniform mixture of the ingredients is prepared by blending and used to 
fill two-piece hard gelatin capsules. 
EXAMPLE V 
250 milliliters of an injectable suspension are prepared by conventional 
procedures having the following formulation: 
______________________________________ 
5% DMSO/water 250 milliliters 
Compound I 400 milligrams 
______________________________________ 
The ingredients are blended and thereafter sterilized for use. 
EXAMPLE VI 
An ointment suitable for topical application may be prepared by intimately 
dispersing 13 milligrams of Compound I in 1 gram of commercially available 
polyethylene/hydrocarbon gel. 
EXAMPLE VII 
An aerosol composition may be prepared having the following formulation 
______________________________________ 
Per canister 
______________________________________ 
Compound I 24 mg 
Lecithin NF, liquid concentrate 
1.2 mg 
Trichlorofluoromethane 4.025 g 
Dichlorodifluoromethane 
12.15 g 
______________________________________