Tunicamycin was first isolated from Streptomyces lysosuperificus based on its antiviral activity. It contains N-acetylglucosamine and inhibits glycoprotein biosynthesis, including virus membrane glycoproteins.
Molecular Formula: C37H60N4O16
Molecular Weight: 816.89
Linear Structural Formula: C37H60N4O16
Storage: 2-8C
Application: Tunicamycin has been used to study the effect of N-linked glycosylation of human proton-coupled folate transporter (HsPCFT) in HeLa cells. Tunicamycin has also been used to study the functional effects of coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) glycosylation in COS-7 cells.
Biochem Physiol Actions: Tunicamycin plays an important role in the antitumor activity of trastuzumab on breast cancer in vitro and in vivo. In human cell lines, tunicamycin enhances cytotoxicity stimulated by cisplatin. It prevents angiogenesis in nude mice by reducing the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).