Leptomycin A

Leptomycins are antifugal antibiotics with unique unsaturated, branched-cain fatty acid structures. Both are considered to be spectific inhibitors of nuclear export protein. The physiochemical and biological properties of Leptomycins A and B are very similar. Both are considered to be specific inhibitors of nuclear export. The suggested inhibition mechanism involves the direct binding of leptomycins to CRM1 (Exportin-1), which is the main nuclear export protein. This blocks the binding of CRM1 to proteins containing a nuclear export signal (NES), and therefore prevents their export from the nucleus. Although more research on nuclear export inhibition has been shown that Leptomycin A has similar effects and can induce, for example, nuclear accumulation of wild-type ERK5. Leptomycin A is also active against Schizosaccaromyces pombe and Mucor rouxianus.