Pullenvasterols A–G: Rare 2β-Hydroxyanthrasteroids from the Australian Soil-Derived Fungi, <i>Clonostachys rosea</i> and <i>Coccidioides</i> sp.

Anthrasteroids were first encountered as acid rearrangement products of the fungal steroid ergosterol and then as geomarkers in deep-sea shale deposits, and while 3α-hydroxyanthrasteroids have been reported as fungal metabolites, 2β-hydroxyanthrasteroids remain rare. Our investigation of Australian soil-derived fungi yielded the 2β-hydroxyanthrasteroid pullenvasterols A-G (<b>1</b>-<b>7</b>), with structures assigned by spectroscopic and chemical analysis and biosynthetic considerations. Of note, <b>4</b> and <b>5</b> selectively inhibit the growth of coisolated fungi, suggestive of an ecological antifungal defense.