Discovery of Populusone, a Skeletal Stimulator of Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Populus euphratica Exudates

Populusone (1), a cembrane-type macrocyclic trinorditerpenoid, was isolated from the exudates of Populus euphratica and shown to have an unprecedented carbon skeleton, The structure was identified using spectroscopic methods and X-ray crystallography. A possible pathway for the biosynthesis of 1 was proposed. Populusone (10 μM) was found to promote proliferation and differentiation of umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stem cells into keratinocyte like cells.