Production, isolation and structure determination of novel fluoroindolocarbazoles from Saccharothrix aercolonigenes ATCC 39243

Saccharothrix is aerocolonigenes ATCC 39243 produces an indolocarbazole ant itumor agent rebeccamycin under submerged fermentation conditions. Adding D L-6-fluorotryptophan to culture of S. aerocolonigenes ATCC 39243 induces th e formation of two novel indolocarbazoles, fluoroindolocarbazoles A and B. Feeding: DL-5-fluorotryptophan to culture of S. aerocolonigenes ATCC 39243 induces the production of a novel indolocarbazole, fluoroindolocarbazole C. These fluoroindolocarbazoles have been isolated from culture broth and pur ified to homogeneity by vacuum liquid chromatography and column chromatogra phy. All three fluoroindolocarbazoles are more potent than rebeccamycin aga inst P388 leukemia by ip route in murine model.