Cercosporamide (CAS 131436-22-1)

Cercosporamide, an usnic amide, was originally identified in Cercosporidium henningsii as a host-selective phytotoxin and broad-spectrum antifungal agent and is a potent inhibitor of MAP-kinase interacting kinase-2 (Mnk2; IC₅₀ = 11 nM), JAK3 (IC₅₀ = 31), and Mnk1 (IC₅₀ = 116 nM). This compound inhibits fungal wall synthesis via targeting of β-1,3-glucan synthase and is reported to exhibit a different mode of action as compared to azole-based fungal inhibitors. Cercosporamide is additionally noted to act as a selective and potent fungal Pkc1 inhibitor and may provide insight as to how Saccharomyces cerevasiae cell-wall mutants become sensitive to this compound. Additional studies in S. cerevisiae have reported that cercosporamide is useful in researching the KNR4 gene in the synthesis of the yeast cell wall. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) as reported using LV-2841, an unidentified fungal culture producing cercosporamide, is reported to be 8-16 μg/mL.

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