Advertisement

If you have an ACS member number, please enter it here so we can link this account to your membership. (optional)

ACS values your privacy. By submitting your information, you are gaining access to C&EN and subscribing to our weekly newsletter. We use the information you provide to make your reading experience better, and we will never sell your data to third party members.

ENJOY UNLIMITED ACCES TO C&EN

Biological Chemistry

Natural Product Sidesteps Drug Resistance In Yeast

Enzyme inhibitor could lead to new pharmaceuticals

by Stu Borman
January 17, 2011 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 89, Issue 3

Oroidin, a natural product isolated from a marine sponge, inhibits an enzyme responsible for multidrug resistance in yeast. It could thus aid the development of antifungal drugs that targeted microorganisms wouldn’t be able to resist and anticancer drugs that sidestep a similar resistance mechanism in tumor cells. An enzyme called Pdr5p is able to help yeast get rid of drugs by pumping them through yeast cell membranes. Its structure and function are similar to those of P-glycoprotein, a multidrug-transport protein in mammalian cells. Antonio Ferreira-Pereira of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and coworkers found that an extract from the marine sponge Agelas sventres inhibits Pdr5p, discovered the small molecule oroidin to be the active agent, and characterized the compound (J. Nat. Prod., DOI: 10.1021/np1006247). The agent could lead to antifungal drugs for cells with the multi­drug-resistance phenotype. In addition, it could be used to screen for compounds that inhibit P-glycoprotein and that might be more effective and/or less toxic than current multidrug-resistance-avoiding anti­cancer agents, such as verapamil, tamoxifen, and cyclosporine A.

Article:

This article has been sent to the following recipient:

0 /1 FREE ARTICLES LEFT THIS MONTH Remaining
Chemistry matters. Join us to get the news you need.