Cordycepin is a nucleoside analog found in C. sinensis that acts as a polyadenylation inhibitor when converted to cordycepin triphosphate, which inhibits ATP-dependent DNA and RNA synthesis. Cordycepin has a broad spectrum of biological activities, including anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory effects. Cordycepin has been shown to reduce poly(A) tail length in mRNA at 10 μM and to activate AMPK kinase, leading to a reduction in mTOR signaling at 200 μM.
