Note
The genus Discodermia has been previously recognized as a source of several biological agents, calyculins A-D1 and discodermins A-D.2 In our search for biologically active substances from marine organisms, an extract from the marine sponge D. dissoluta was discovered to inhibit in vitro proliferation of P388 murine leukemia cells, to inhibit growth of Candida albicans,3 and to be active in the two-way mixed lymphocyte culture assay.4 We recently described the novel polyhydroxylated lactone discodermolide as the metabolite responsible for the immunosuppressive activity of the crude extract.5 We now report the isolation and the structure determination of the cytotoxic and antifungal active compound as discodermide (I).