Amphiol, an Antifungal Fungal Pigment from Pseudogymnoascus sp. PF1464

An antifungal metabolite, designated amphiol ( 1 ), was isolated from the culture broth of the fungus Pseudogymnoascus sp. PF1464. It exists as a mixture of inseparable tautomers, an acetal form and a keto form. The chemical structure was determined by spectroscopic analyses and chemical derivatization. Amphiol ( 1 ) showed antifungal but not antibacterial activities, while yeast mutant cells lacking ergosterol biosynthetic genes were less sensitive, implying a fungal specific, membrane-related mechanism of action.