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.
| Molecular Formula | C21H24O9 |
| References |
Maier S et al (2014) Insights into the bioactivity of Mensacarcin and epoxide formation by MsnO8. Chem. Bio. Chem. 15:749 Plitzko B et al (2017) The natural product Mensacarcin induces mitochondrial toxicity and apoptosis in melanoma cells. J. Biol. Chem. 292:21102 Tietze L et al (2004) Towards a total synthesis of the new anticancer agent Mensacarcin: Synthesis of the carbocyclic core. Chemistry 10:5233 |