Kijanimicin is a tetronic acid related to saccharocarcin, chlorothricin, versipelostatin and tetrocarcin. Like the tetrocarcins, kijanimicin contains an unusual nitroaminoglycoside. Kijanimicin is a potent antibacterial, antimalarial and antitumour active. Several members of this class have received considerable literature focus. Versipelostatin inhibits transcription from the promoter of GRP78, a gene that is activated as part of a stress signalling pathway under glucose deprivation resulting in unfolded protein response (UPR). The UPR-inhibitory action is seen only in conditions of glucose deprivation and causes selective and massive killing of the glucose-deprived cells. Tetrocarcin A appears to target the phosphatidylinositide-3'-kinase/Akt signalling pathway.
