Mensacarcin
Application Notes
Mensarcarcin is an unusual anthracene metabolite of Streptomyces sp. containing nine stereogenic centres and two epoxy functionalities first isolated by Zeeck and co-workers in the late 1990s. Mensacarcin has broad antitumor activity. Mensacarcin activates caspase-3/7-dependent apoptotic pathways and induces cell death in SK-Mel-28 and SK-Mel-5 melanoma cells with the BRAF(V600E) mutation associated with drug resistance, showing characteristic chromatin condensation as well as poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase-1 cleavage. The epoxy moieties are primarily responsible for the cytotoxic effect of mensocarcin.
References
- Towards a total synthesis of the new anticancer agent mensacarcin: synthesis of the carbocyclic core. Tietze L. et al. Chemistry 2004, 10, 5233.
- The natural product mensacarcin induces mitochondrial toxicity and apoptosis in melanoma cells. Plitzko B. et al. J Biol Chem. 2017, 292, 21102.
- Insights into the bioactivity of mensacarcin and epoxide formation by MsnO8. Maier S. et al. Chem Bio Chem. 2014, 15, 749.