Tunicamycin mixture is a mixture of tunicamycins with variable
trans-2,3-unsaturated branched chain fatty acid (BFCA) chain lengths. Tunicamycins are anti-microbial agents that are active against Gram-positive bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
1 They inhibit the N-acetylhexosamine (HexNAc) phosphotransferase family of enzymes in bacteria and prevent peptidoglycan biosynthesis.
2 In eukaryotes, they inhibit N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) phosphotransferase (GPT), preventing the first step in N-linked glycosylation and inducing the unfolded protein response and cell death.
2,3,4 The cellular toxicity of tunicamycins is linked to the
trans-2,3-unsaturated BCFA, and saturated BCFA-containing tunicamycin derivatives, such as TunR1 (Item No.
31537) and TunR2 (Item No.
31538), have reduced toxicity.
2,5 Tunicamycins impair glycosylation of the receptor tyrosine kinases EGFR, HER2, HER3, and IGF-1R, which prevents their translocation out of the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus and reduces their protein levels and activity.
6 Tunicamycin sensitizes EGFR inhibitor-resistant U251 glioma and Bx/PC-3 pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells to irradiation.
6