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Potent and Specific Inhibitors of Protein Kinase C of Microbial Origin

Abstract

Potent and specific inhibitors of protein kinase C have been found in streptomyces and fungi: Staurosporine, an alkaloid from Streptomyces sp., is the most potent inhibitor of protein kinases with an IC50 in the nanomolar range. UCN-01 (7-hydroxy staurosporine), isolated from Streptomyces sp., is a selective inhibitor of protein kinase C with antitumor activity. Calphostin, isolated from the fungus Cladosporium cladosporioides, specifically inhibits protein kinase C (IC50 = 0.05 μM) without inhibiting other protein kinases. Microbial metabolites appear to be a promising source of inhibitors that target signal transduction pathways of eukaryotes.

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Tamaoki, T., Nakano, H. Potent and Specific Inhibitors of Protein Kinase C of Microbial Origin. Nat Biotechnol 8, 732–735 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0890-732

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