Gliotoxin is an immunosuppressive mycotoxin produced by pathogenic strains of
Aspergillus and other fungi with diverse biological activities.
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 It inhibits 20S proteasomal chymotrypsin activity (IC
50 = 10 μM), blocking the degradation of IκBα and preventing the activation of NF-κB.
2,3 Gliotoxin induces apoptosis in monocytes and dendritic cells and reduces phagocytosis by neutrophils.
4,5 It suppresses viral infection by Nipah and Hendra virus in HEK293T cells (IC
50s = 149 and 579 nM, respectively).
6 Under reducing conditions, gliotoxin inhibits leukotriene A
4 hydrolase (LTA
4H; Item No.
10007817) epoxide hydrolase activity, but not aminopeptidase activity, and leukotriene B
4 (LTB
4; Item No.
20110) synthesis in neutrophils and monocytes.
7 In vivo, gliotoxin (5 mg/kg) reduces LTB
4 plasma levels and blocks peritoneal neutrophil infiltration in a mouse model of peritonitis induced by zymosan A (Item No.
21175). It also inhibits geranylgeranyltransferase I and farnesyltransferase (IC
50s = 17 and 80 μM, respectively).
8