Isolation and Structure of Leukotriene-A₄ Hydrolase Inhibitor:  8(S)-Amino-2(R)-methyl-7-oxononanoic Acid Produced by Streptomyces diastaticus

The novel amino acid 8(S)-amino-2(R)-methyl-7-oxononanoic acid (1) was isolated from the soil-borne microorganism Streptomyces diastaticus during our screening for inhibitors of leukotriene-A4 hydrolase (LTA4H), a requisite enzyme in the biosynthesis of the potent inflammatory mediator leukotriene-B4 (LTB4). The structure of 1 was determined by detailed spectroscopic analyses and is related to 7-keto-8-aminopelargonic acid (2), a biosynthetic precursor of biotin. The relative potency of 1 (LTA4H IC50 = 0.6 microM) warranted further biological studies.