What is "myriocin"

n. (context organic compound English) A lipid-like amino acid that has antibiotic activity

Myriocin, also known as antibiotic ISP-1 and thermozymocidin, is an atypical amino acid and an antibiotic derived from certain thermophilic fungi. Among the producing strains are Mycelia sterilia.

Myriocin is a very potent inhibitor of serine palmitoyltransferase, the first step in sphingosine biosynthesis. Due to this property, it is used in biochemical research as a tool for depleting cells of sphingolipids.

Myriocin was shown to inhibit the proliferation of an IL-2-dependent mouse cytotoxic T cell line.

Myriocin possesses immunosuppressant activity. It is reported to be 10- to 100-fold more potent than ciclosporin.

The multiple sclerosis drug fingolimod was derived from myriocin by using structure–activity relationship studies to determine the parts of the molecule important to its activity.