(−)-Viriditoxin is a mycotoxin originally isolated from
A. viridinutans that has antibacterial and antiproliferative activity.
1,2,3,4 It is active against methicillin-sensitive and -resistant
S. aureus (MSSA and MRSA, respectively), tetracycline-sensitive and -resistant
Staphylococcus, vancomycin-sensitive and -resistant
Enterococcus, and penicillin-sensitive and -resistant
S. pneumoniae (MICs = 2-32 μg/ml).
2 (−)-Viriditoxin is also active against fish pathogens, including
S. iniae and
S. parauberis (MICs = 0.16-0.21 μg/ml).
3 It inhibits polymerization and the GTPase activity of
E. coli FtsZ, a tubulin-like GTPase involved in bacterial cell division (IC
50s = 8.2 and 7 μg/ml, respectively).
2 (−)-Viriditoxin inhibits proliferation of human DU145, LNCaP, and PC3 prostate cancer cells (IC
50s = 5.36, 0.63, and 7.6 μM, respectively) .
4 It is also toxic to mice (LD
50 = 2.8 mg/kg, i.p.).
5