FR 901379
Application Notes
FR 901379 is a pneumocandin belonging to the echinocandin class of cyclic lipopeptides produced by Coleophoma empetri F-11899, discovered as antifungals and patented in 1991 by Ueda and colleagues. FR 901379 inhibits the synthesis of 1,3-β-D-glucan in the fungal cell wall. The sulfonic acid confers water solubility, a limitation with other echinocandins. Unfortunately, FR 901379 was also haemolytic, this limitation being overcome by selective hydrolysis using a cyclic lipopeptide acylase to yield FR 179642, the starting material for production of the commercial antifungal, micafungin.
References
- 1. WF11899A, B and C, novel antifungal lipopeptides. I. Taxonomy, fermentation, 1.2. isolation and physico-chemical properties. IwamotoT. et al., J. Antibiot. 1994, 47, 1084.
- Preparation of cyclic peptide (echinocandin B) antibiotics. Toshiro I. et al., EP 462531 A2, 1991.
- Screening and characterization of microorganisms with FR 901379 acylase activity. Ueda S. et al., J. Antibiot. 1992, 63, 605.
- Improvement of FR901379 production by mutant selection and and medium optimimization. Kanda M. et al., J. BioSci. Bioeng. 2009, 107, 530.