Acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting activity of marinoquinoline A (1), a new pyrroloquinoline from a novel species of a marine gliding bacterium Rapidithrix thailandica, was assessed (IC(50) 4.9 microM). Two related pyrrole derivatives, 3-(2'-aminophenyl)-pyrrole (3) and 2,2-dimethyl-pyrrolo-1,2-dihydroquinoline (4), were also isolated from two other strains of R. thailandica. The isolation of 3 from a natural source is reported here for the first time. Compound 4 was proposed to be an isolation artifact derived from 3. The two isolated compounds were virtually inactive in the acetylcholinesterase-inhibitory assay (enzyme inhibition < 30% at 0.1 g L(-1)).
Keywords: Rapidithrix thailandica; acetylcholinesterase inhibitors; gliding bacteria; phenylpyrroles; pyrroloquinolines.