Myriocin
Myriocin, also known as antibiotic ISP-1 and thermozymocidin, is a non-proteinogenic amino acid derived from certain thermophilic fungi.
Myriocin is a very potent inhibitor of serine palmitoyltransferase, the first step in sphingosine biosynthesis. Due to this property, it is used in biochemical research as a tool for depleting cells of sphingolipids.
Myriocin was shown to inhibit the proliferation of an IL-2-dependent mouse cytotoxic T cell line.
Myriocin possesses immunosuppressant activity. It is reported to be 10- to 100-fold more potent than ciclosporin.
The multiple sclerosis drug fingolimod was derived from myriocin by using structure–activity relationship studies to determine the parts of the molecule important to its activity.
