What is "mycolactone"

Mycolactone is a polyketide-derived macrolide produced and secreted by a group of very closely related pathogenic mycobacteria that have been assigned a variety of species names including, M. ulcerans, M. liflandii (an unofficial designation), M. pseudoshottsii, and some strains of M. marinum. These mycobacteria are collectively referred to as mycolactone-producing mycobacteria or MPM.

In humans, mycolactone is the toxin responsible for Buruli ulcers, doing so by damaging tissues and inhibiting the immune response.