Ascofuranone
Encyclopedia
Ascofuranone is an antibiotic
produced by the fungus Ascochyta visiae
. that inhibits the Trypanosoma brucei
alternative oxidase
and is a lead compound in efforts to produce other drugs targeting this enzyme for the treatment of sleeping sickness. The compound is effective both in vitro cell culture
and in infections in mice.
Ascofuranone has also been reported to have anti-tumor activity, and modulate the immune system
.
Antibiotic
An antibacterial is a compound or substance that kills or slows down the growth of bacteria.The term is often used synonymously with the term antibiotic; today, however, with increased knowledge of the causative agents of various infectious diseases, antibiotic has come to denote a broader range of...
produced by the fungus Ascochyta visiae
Ascochyta visiae
Ascochyta viciae is an ascomycote fungus species in the genus Ascochyta.Ascofuranone is an antibiotic produced by A. visiae....
. that inhibits the Trypanosoma brucei
Trypanosoma brucei
Trypanosoma brucei is a parasitic protist species that causes African trypanosomiasis in humans and nagana in animals in Africa. There are 3 sub-species of T. brucei: T. b. brucei, T. b. gambiense and T. b. rhodesiense.These obligate parasites have two hosts - an insect vector and mammalian host...
alternative oxidase
Alternative oxidase
The alternative oxidase is an enzyme that forms part of the electron transport chain in plants, as well as some fungi, protists and possibly some animals. Sequences similar to the plant oxidase have also been identified in bacterial genomes....
and is a lead compound in efforts to produce other drugs targeting this enzyme for the treatment of sleeping sickness. The compound is effective both in vitro cell culture
Cell culture
Cell culture is the complex process by which cells are grown under controlled conditions. In practice, the term "cell culture" has come to refer to the culturing of cells derived from singlecellular eukaryotes, especially animal cells. However, there are also cultures of plants, fungi and microbes,...
and in infections in mice.
Ascofuranone has also been reported to have anti-tumor activity, and modulate the immune system
Immune system
An immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. It detects a wide variety of agents, from viruses to parasitic worms, and needs to distinguish them from the organism's own...
.