The absolute stereostructure of komodoquinone A (1), a neuritogenic anthracycline, which was isolated from a cultured marine Streptomyces sp. KS3, has been determined on the basis of chemical derivatization. Komodoquinone A (1) induces neuronal cell differentiation in the neuroblastoma cell line, Neuro 2A and arrests the cell cycle at the G1 phase. The effect of a solid-state medium on the production of 1 and its aglycone, komodoquinone B (2), was examined.
