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Tunicamycin
Tunicamycin
Tunicamycin
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Tunicamycin
Names
IUPAC name
(E)-N-[(2S,3R,4R,5R,6R)-2-[(2R,3R,4R,5S,6R)-

3-acetamido-4,5-dihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy- 6-[2-[(2R,3S,4R,5R)-5-(2,4-dioxopyrimidin-1-yl)- 3,4-dihydroxyoxolan-2-yl]-2-hydroxyethyl]-4,5-dihydroxyoxan-

3-yl]-5-methylhex-2-enamide
Other names
NSC 177382
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChEMBL
ChemSpider
ECHA InfoCard 100.115.295 Edit this at Wikidata
EC Number
  • 601-012-4
MeSH Tunicamycin
UNII
  • InChI=1S/C30H46N4O16/c1-11(2)5-4-6-16(38)32-19-23(43)20(40)14(47-29(19)50-28-18(31-12(3)36)22(42)21(41)15(10-35)48-28)9-13(37)26-24(44)25(45)27(49-26)34-8-7-17(39)33-30(34)46/h4,6-8,11,13-15,18-29,35,37,40-45H,5,9-10H2,1-3H3,(H,31,36)(H,32,38)(H,33,39,46)/b6-4+/t13?,14-,15-,18-,19-,20+,21-,22-,23-,24+,25-,26-,27-,28-,29+/m1/s1
    Key: ZHSGGJXRNHWHRS-VIDYELAYSA-N
  • CC(C)C\C=C\C(=O)N[C@@H]1[C@H]([C@H]([C@H](O[C@H]1O[C@@H]2[C@@H]([C@H]([C@@H]([C@H](O2)CO)O)O)NC(=O)C)CC([C@@H]3[C@H]([C@H]([C@@H](O3)N4C=CC(=O)NC4=O)O)O)O)O)O
Properties
C39H64N4O16
Molar mass N/A
Hazards
GHS labelling:[1]
GHS06: Toxic
Danger
H300
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Tunicamycin is a mixture of homologous nucleoside antibiotics that inhibits the UDP-HexNAc: polyprenol-P HexNAc-1-P family of enzymes. In eukaryotes, this includes the enzyme GlcNAc phosphotransferase (GPT), which catalyzes the transfer of N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate from UDP-N-acetylglucosamine to dolichol phosphate in the first step of glycoprotein synthesis. Tunicamycin blocks N-linked glycosylation (N-glycans) and treatment of cultured human cells with tunicamycin causes cell cycle arrest in G1 phase. It is used as an experimental tool in biology, e.g. to induce unfolded protein response.[2] Tunicamycin is produced by several bacteria, including Streptomyces clavuligerus and Streptomyces lysosuperificus.

Tunicamycin homologues have varying molecular weights owing to the variability in fatty acid side chain conjugates.[3]

Biosynthesis

[edit]

The biosynthesis of tunicamycins was studied in Streptomyces chartreusis and a proposed biosynthetic pathway was characterized. The bacteria utilize the enzymes in the tun gene cluster (TunA-N) to make tunicamycins.[4]

TunA uses the starter unit uridine diphosphate-N-acetyl-glucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) and catalyzes the dehydration of the 6’ hydroxyl group. First, a Tyr residue in TunA abstracts a proton from the 4’ hydroxyl group, forming a ketone at that position. A hydride is subsequently abstracted from the 4’ carbon by NAD+, forming NADH. The ketone is stabilized by hydrogen bonding from the Tyr residue, and a nearby Thr residue. A glutamate residue then abstracts a proton from the 5’ carbon, pushing the electrons up to form a double bond between the 5’ and 6’ carbon. A nearby cysteine donates a proton to the hydroxyl group as it leaves as water. NADH donates a hydride to the 4’ carbon, reforming a hydroxide in that position and forming UDP-6’-deoxy-5-6-ene-GlcNAc. TunF then catalyzes the epimerization of the intermediate to UDP-6’-deoxy-5-6-ene-GalNAc, changing the 4’ hydroxyl from the equatorial to axial position.[5]

The other starter unit for tunicamycin is uridine, which is produced from uridine triphosphate (UTP). TunN is a nucleotide diphosphatase, and catalyzes the removal of pyrophosphate from UTP to form uridine monophosphate. The last phosphate is removed by the putative monophosphatase, TunG.

Once uridine and UDP-6’-deoxy-5-6-ene-GalNAc are produced, TunB catalyzes their linkage at the 6’ carbon of UDP-6’-deoxy-5-6-ene-GalNAc. TunB uses S-adenyslmethionine (SAM) to form a radical on the 5’ carbon of the ribose on uracil. TunM is thought to catalyze the formation of a new bond between the 5’ carbon of uridine and the 6’ carbon of UDP-6’-deoxy-5-6-ene-GalNAc using the electron from the uridine radical and one of the electrons from the double bond of UDP-6’-deoxy-5-6-ene-GalNAc. The radical on UDP-6’-deoxy-5-6-ene-GalNAc is then quenched by abstracting a hydrogen from SAM.[6] The resulting molecule is UDP-N-acetyl-tunicamine. TunH then catalyzes the hydrolysis of UDP from UDP-N-acetyl-tunicamine. Another molecule of UDP-GlcNAc is introduced, and a β-1,1 glycosidic bond is subsequently formed, catalyzed by TunD. The resulting molecule is deacetylated by TunE. TunL and a fatty acyl-ACP ligase are used to load metabolic fatty acids onto the acyl carrier protein, TunK. TunC then attaches the fatty acid to the free amine, producing tunicamycin.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Tunicamycin

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Tunicamycin is a mixture of homologous nucleoside antibiotics produced by several species of ''Streptomyces'' bacteria, including ''Streptomyces clavuligerus'' and ''Streptomyces lysosuperificus''. It functions as a potent inhibitor of the enzyme UDP-N-acetylglucosamine:dolichyl-phosphate N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate transferase (DPAGT1) in eukaryotes, thereby blocking the first step in N-linked protein glycosylation and inducing endoplasmic reticulum stress. In bacteria, it targets polyprenylphosphate-N-acetyl-hexosamine-1-phosphotransferases (PNPTs), disrupting cell wall biosynthesis and exhibiting activity against Gram-positive bacteria and mycobacteria. Due to its high toxicity to eukaryotic cells, tunicamycin is primarily employed as an experimental tool in research to study the unfolded protein response (UPR), cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase, and glycosylation-related pathways, rather than as a therapeutic agent. As of 2024, research has focused on tunicamycin derivatives to mitigate its eukaryotic while preserving antibacterial , such as TunR2, which features reduced double bonds and a dihydrouracil substitution, showing promise in models of infections with minimal host cell impact. More recent studies as of 2025 have explored nanoencapsulation to reduce for potential applications. Despite these advances and ongoing challenges with , specificity, and delivery, tunicamycin remains mainly a biochemical probe for investigating folding and ER .

Discovery and Production

Discovery

Tunicamycin was first discovered in 1971 by Japanese researchers Akira Takatsuki, Kei , and Gakuzo Tamura at the , who isolated it from the culture filtrates of a newly identified strain, lysosuperificus nov. sp. The compound emerged during routine screening of microbial metabolites for novel antimicrobial agents, where it demonstrated potent inhibitory activity against animal and plant viruses, as well as effects on and . The isolation process involved extracting the active substance from the fermentation broth using solvent partitioning, followed by purification through , yielding a white powder with an approximate molecular weight of 870. Early characterization revealed it as a mixture of closely related antibiotics, distinguished by its absorption spectrum indicative of a uracil moiety and its properties. The researchers named it "tunicamycin," derived from tunica (Latin for coat), reflecting its inhibitory action on the formation of viral envelopes and bacterial cell walls. A key milestone in the 1970s was the structural elucidation of tunicamycin, achieved in 1977 by Takatsuki and colleagues through acid , chromatographic separation, and spectroscopic , which confirmed its unique core consisting of a uracil-linked aminodeoxypentitol attached to an and a chain. This work highlighted the compound's heterogeneity as a mixture of homologues differing in length, solidifying its classification as a with unprecedented structural features.

Producing Organisms

Tunicamycin is primarily produced by the actinomycete bacterium lysosuperificus ATCC 31396, from which the antibiotic was originally isolated as a mixture of homologs. Another key primary producer is Streptomyces clavuligerus NRRL 3585, which synthesizes tunicamycin alongside other secondary metabolites like clavulanic acid. Secondary production occurs in Streptomyces chartreusis strains NRRL 3882 and NRRL 12338, which accumulate tunicamycin at higher concentrations than the primary producers under optimized conditions. Additional species, such as S. griseus ATCC 31591 and certain marine-derived isolates like S. bacillaris MBTG32, have also been reported to produce tunicamycin, though typically at lower levels. These organisms are cultivated through aerobic submerged in nutrient-rich media to induce tunicamycin . Typical media include tryptone--dextrose (TYD) formulations with 6 g/L glucose, 2 g/L , 2 g/L , and 0.3 g/L MgCl₂·6H₂O, or variations with 1–6% carbohydrates (e.g., glucose or ) and 0.2–6% sources (e.g., or ). occurs at 28–30°C for 4–7 days under agitation (200–250 RPM) and aeration (0.25–1.0 vvm), with maintained at 6.0–8.0; production peaks intracellularly in the mycelia during the stationary phase. Industrial-scale production faces challenges such as low natural yields in wild-type strains, self-toxicity of tunicamycin to the producer, and difficulties in downstream recovery due to its association with . Yield optimization techniques include medium engineering (e.g., adjusting carbon-to-nitrogen ratios with glucose and for enhanced growth) and genetic modifications, such as of regulatory genes like pimM in S. clavuligerus, which can increase tunicamycin output up to fivefold. Further improvements involve strain selection via adaptive laboratory evolution to boost tolerance and productivity, though scalability remains limited by the antibiotic's instability and purification complexity.

Chemical Properties

Molecular Structure

Tunicamycin features a distinctive nucleoside core consisting of a uracil base N-glycosidically linked to a β-D-ribofuranose sugar at the 1' position, with the 5'-hydroxyl group of the ribose forming an α-glycosidic bond to the anomeric carbon (C1) of an N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) unit. The anomeric carbon of this GlcNAc is simultaneously engaged in a β-glycosidic linkage to the anomeric carbon (C11) of the tunicamine moiety, creating a rare 1,1-disubstituted, trehalose-like glycosidic bond between the GlcNAc and tunicamine. The tunicamine unit is an unusual 11-carbon 2-amino-2,3-dideoxy-D-ribo-hexodialdose chain, characterized by an aldehyde at C1, a primary amine at C2 (N-acylated by the fatty acid), methylene at C3, hydroxyl groups at C4, C5, and C6, and the anomeric linkage at C11. This architecture positions key functional groups, including the uracil's carbonyls for hydrogen bonding, the GlcNAc's acetamido for polar interactions, and the lipophilic fatty acyl chain for membrane association. The natural isolate of tunicamycin exists as a homologous , primarily variants A through E, distinguished by the length and branching of the fatty acyl chain attached via an amide bond to the 2-amino group of tunicamine. These homologues feature fatty acids ranging from C8 (straight-chain octanoyl in homolog A) to C17 (e.g., heptadecanoyl in homolog E), with predominant components B (C15, often 10-methylhexadecanoyl), C (C16, hexadecanoyl), and D (C17, anteiso-heptadecanoyl) accounting for most of the . For instance, the major homolog C2 has the molecular formula C39H64N4O16 and a molecular weight of approximately 844.9 Da, while homolog A1 is C37H60N4O16 (816.9 Da). The of tunicamycin is precisely defined at multiple chiral centers, ensuring its biological specificity. The portion exhibits standard β-D-ribofuranosyl configuration with (R) at C1', (S) at C2', (R) at C3', and (S) at C4'. The GlcNAc adopts the D-gluco configuration: (R) at C2, (S) at C3, (R) at C4, and (R) at C5, with the α-anomeric linkage to and β to tunicamine. Tunicamine possesses the D-ribo-hexodialdose , featuring (S) at C2 (amino-bearing), (R) at C4, (S) at C5, and (R) at C6, with the β-anomeric configuration at C11 for the to GlcNAc. These configurations were confirmed through degradative analysis and NMR studies in the original structural elucidation.

Physical and Chemical Characteristics

Tunicamycin is typically obtained as a white to off-white crystalline powder, facilitating its handling in settings. The compound exhibits limited in , with concentrations below 5 mg/mL even at 9, due to its amphiphilic nature from the lipophilic chain. It dissolves more readily in organic solvents, achieving solubilities >10 mg/mL (up to 20 mg/mL) in DMSO, <5 mg/mL in , approximately 1 mg/mL in , and over 10 mg/mL in DMF. Tunicamycin demonstrates sensitivity to acid and light exposure, which can degrade its structure, but it maintains stability under neutral to alkaline conditions and when stored at 2–8°C in the dark. Spectroscopic analysis reveals UV absorption maxima at 208 nm and 260 nm, primarily from the uracil moiety. The molecular weights of its homologs range from 817 Da (homolog A) to 859 Da (homolog D), reflecting variations in the side chain length. For high-purity applications, the homologs can be effectively separated using reversed-phase , enabling isolation of individual components with purities exceeding 98%.

Biosynthesis

Gene Cluster

The tun gene cluster responsible for tunicamycin in chartreusis was first identified in 2010 through sequencing and mining strategies applied to strain NRRL 12338. This cluster spans approximately 12 kb and encompasses 14 , designated tunA through tunN, which demonstrate a high degree of translational coupling to ensure efficient co-expression. Bioinformatic annotation revealed that these encode enzymes tailored for assembly, with bioinformatic and gene disruption studies identifying tunA, tunB, tunC, tunD, tunE, and tunH as essential for tunicamycin production, while tunF, tunG, tunK, tunL, and tunN enhance and flux. Among the key genes, encodes an NAD-dependent epimerase/dehydratase that processes UDP-N-acetylglucosamine into an exo-glycal intermediate critical for the modified component. tunD encodes a that establishes the unique α,β-1,1-glycosidic linkage in the core. tunM encodes a radical S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) that, in cooperation with tunB, facilitates the C-C bond formation linking the uracil to the derivative. tunB encodes a radical SAM that likely generates a reactive uridine-5'-aldehyde or radical intermediate for this coupling. The cluster exhibits evolutionary adaptations, including Type I (PKS)-like modules repurposed for rather than chain elongation, highlighting a divergence in pathways among actinomycetes. Its G+C content (65%) is notably lower than the host genome average (~72%), consistent with events. Homologous clusters occur in other species, underscoring a conserved genomic for tunicamycin production across select actinobacterial producers.

Biosynthetic Pathway

The of tunicamycin is a multi-step enzymatic process that assembles the antibiotic's unique structure from simple nucleotide sugar precursors, primarily UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) and triphosphate (UTP). The pathway, encoded by the in producing actinomycetes such as chartreusis, proceeds through a linear sequence of transformations that build the undecose sugar chain, link it to the uracil , and append a variable fatty , resulting in the final product's characteristic -linked architecture. This assembly highlights unusual biochemical strategies, including the formation of reactive exo-glycal intermediates, which enable the construction of the strained 11-carbon tunicamine moiety. The pathway initiates with TunA, a UDP-GlcNAc 5,6-dehydratase, which catalyzes the of UDP-GlcNAc to generate the key exo-glycal intermediate UDP-6-deoxy-GlcNAc-5,6-ene, thereby establishing the unsaturated undecose foundation essential for subsequent carbon-carbon bond formation. This step is critical, as TunA's activity creates a reactive that serves as the building block for the sugar's unusual and ring structure. Following dehydration, TunF, an epimerase homologous to UDP-glucose 4-epimerases, inverts the configuration at the C5' position of the exo-glycal, converting it to UDP-6-deoxy-GalNAc-5,6-ene and ensuring the correct galactosamine-like configuration in the tunicamine unit. These early modifications set the stage for core assembly, where enzymes such as TunB and TunM facilitate the attachment of the modified sugar to a uridine-derived moiety via radical-mediated C-C bond formation; TunB likely generates a uridine-5'-aldehyde or radical from UTP (possibly via activity of TunG), enabling the coupling. The linear pathway continues with reduction and hydrolysis steps (involving TunD, TunE, and TunH) to yield the core UDP-N-acetyltunicaminyl-uracil intermediate, where TunD adds the N-acetylglucosamine unit, releasing the free anomeric hydroxyl at C11' of the sugar. Completion occurs through fatty acid acylation, where TunL, a phosphatase, works in concert with acyl carrier protein TunK and acyltransferase TunC to activate and transfer variable fatty acyl chains (typically 8-12 carbons, derived from β-oxidation or amino acid catabolism of valine, leucine, or isoleucine) onto the 11'-hydroxyl, introducing the structural diversity observed among tunicamycin homologs. This branched acylation step, mediated by the acyl carrier protein system, allows for homolog variation by incorporating different chain lengths and branching patterns from the cellular fatty acid pool, without altering the core nucleoside-sugar scaffold. The overall process exemplifies a modular yet tightly coordinated assembly, with non-essential accessory genes like tunF, tunG, and tunL enhancing flux and efficiency rather than being strictly required for core production.

Mechanism of Action

Inhibition of N-Linked Glycosylation

Tunicamycin specifically inhibits the UDP-N-acetylglucosamine—dolichyl- N-acetylglucosaminephosphotransferase, known as DPAGT1 in eukaryotes and GlcNAc-1-P in prokaryotes, which catalyzes the committed first step in N-linked biosynthesis. This transfers N-acetylglucosamine-1- (GlcNAc-1-P) from the donor substrate UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) to (Dol-P), forming GlcNAc-pyrophosphoryl- (GlcNAc-PP-Dol), an essential lipid-linked precursor. The inhibited reaction is as follows: UDP-GlcNAc+Dol-P→GlcNAc-PP-Dol+UMP\text{UDP-GlcNAc} + \text{Dol-P} \rightarrow \text{GlcNAc-PP-Dol} + \text{UMP} By blocking this transfer, tunicamycin prevents the assembly of the full oligosaccharide precursor on the membrane, halting . The binding mechanism of tunicamycin involves structural of the natural substrate UDP-GlcNAc, allowing it to act as a competitive inhibitor with high affinity (K_d ≈ 5.6 nM). Its uracil moiety mimics the uracil base of UDP, while the (GlcNAc) portion closely resembles the GlcNAc sugar of UDP-GlcNAc, enabling both components to occupy the enzyme's and form stabilizing interactions such as π-π stacking with residues like Phe249 and hydrogen bonds with Asp252 and Asn119. Additionally, tunicamycin's lipid chain partially mimics the phosphate acceptor, further competing at the and preventing the nucleophilic attack necessary for GlcNAc-1-P transfer. structures of DPAGT1 in complex with tunicamycin confirm this , revealing an enclosed binding pocket that traps the inhibitor and blocks substrate access. This inhibition is highly specific to N-linked glycosylation pathways, as tunicamycin targets the GlcNAc-1-P transferase family without affecting , which relies on different enzymatic mechanisms. In eukaryotes, the selectivity for DPAGT1 underlies tunicamycin's utility in studying N-glycan-dependent processes, though it can also inhibit prokaryotic homologs like MraY involved in synthesis.

Downstream Cellular Effects

Tunicamycin's blockade of N-linked glycosylation causes the accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins within the (ER), as nascent polypeptides fail to receive proper glycan modifications essential for folding and . This buildup activates the unfolded protein response (UPR), a conserved signaling cascade mediated by sensors such as PERK, IRE1, and ATF6, which initially aims to attenuate , enhance chaperone expression, and degrade aberrant proteins to restore ER . However, persistent ER stress from tunicamycin overwhelms these adaptive mechanisms, leading to maladaptive outcomes including and cellular dysfunction across various cell types. The UPR triggered by tunicamycin also induces cell cycle arrest in the , allowing cells time to repair damage before . This halt stems from deficiencies in N-glycosylated proteins critical for , such as involved in and signaling, and growth factor receptors that drive proliferation. In human and other mammalian cells, PERK-mediated phosphorylation of eIF2α contributes to this arrest by selectively repressing translation of and other pro-progression factors. In mammalian cells, unresolved ER stress from tunicamycin escalates to apoptosis through the PERK-eIF2α-ATF4-CHOP pathway, where the transcription factor CHOP (also known as GADD153) upregulates pro-death genes like DR5 and BIM while downregulating anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members. This culminates in mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization and caspase activation, with caspase-9 and caspase-3 executing the apoptotic program. Studies in diverse models, including neurons and cancer cells, confirm CHOP's pivotal role, as its knockdown attenuates tunicamycin-induced death. Beyond eukaryotic cells, tunicamycin exerts antibacterial effects primarily against by inhibiting MraY, a key in peptidoglycan biosynthesis that transfers phospho-MurNAc-pentapeptide to undecaprenyl to form lipid I. This disruption impairs cross-linking and integrity, leading to osmotic and growth inhibition, as observed in species like and . Tunicamycin shows greater activity against than Gram-negatives due to poor penetration of the outer membrane in the latter, which acts as a permeability barrier.

Biological Activities and Applications

Antibiotic Properties

Tunicamycin demonstrates potent antibiotic activity against , including species such as and , as well as against fungi like and yeasts. It also exhibits strong activity against mycobacteria, such as , with a (MIC) of 0.025 μg/mL. This narrow-spectrum profile arises from its targeted inhibition of key steps in microbial biosynthesis, disrupting the formation of essential lipid-linked intermediates required for and other surface structures. In contrast, tunicamycin exhibits no antibacterial activity against , such as or , primarily due to the impermeability of their outer , which prevents the from reaching its intracellular target. For sensitive Gram-positive strains and fungi, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) generally fall within the range of 0.1–10 μg/mL, with examples including 0.1–3.13 μg/mL against various strains and 2–32 μg/mL against C. albicans. Historically, despite its promising effects, tunicamycin was evaluated as a but not advanced for clinical development owing to its high toward eukaryotic cells, which share similar pathways. This limitation has confined its utility to rather than therapeutic applications against microbial infections.

Research and Therapeutic Uses

Tunicamycin is widely employed in studies to induce (ER) stress, enabling researchers to investigate the unfolded protein response (UPR) and its implications in disorders. By inhibiting N-linked , it triggers the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the ER, mimicking pathological conditions associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. For instance, in neuronal models, tunicamycin treatment has been used to replicate ER stress-mediated spatial memory deficits and amyloid-beta aggregation, providing insights into UPR activation pathways like PERK and IRE1. In , tunicamycin sensitizes multidrug-resistant cells to by exacerbating defects and intensifying ER stress. Specifically, in gastric cancer models, it overcomes resistance to agents like by upregulating UPR markers such as CHOP and GRP78, leading to enhanced in resistant cell lines like SGC7901/ADR. This approach highlights its utility in studying how inhibition disrupts tumor cell survival mechanisms without directly serving as an . Recent advancements include the development of tunicamycin derivatives with reduced toxicity for therapeutic applications. The derivative TunR2, modified to minimize eukaryotic cell interference while retaining antibacterial potency, demonstrated efficacy in a 2024 zebrafish model of Mycobacterium marinum infection, a surrogate for tuberculosis, by clearing bacterial loads at doses that spared host viability. As of 2025, synthetic tunicamycin derivatives have been evaluated for activity against , showing MICs in the range of 16–32 μg/mL against strains like M. avium subsp. , with low in bovine cells. Additionally, tunicamycin exhibits synergistic effects with β-lactam antibiotics possessing five-membered ring structures, enhancing activity against such as . Common experimental protocols involve dosing cells with 1–5 μg/mL tunicamycin for 24–48 hours to reliably induce ER stress in vitro, as this range activates UPR without excessive cytotoxicity in various mammalian cell lines.

Toxicity and Safety

Toxicity Mechanisms

Tunicamycin exerts its toxicity primarily through inhibition of N-linked glycosylation, resulting in the accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins within the (ER). This triggers ER stress overload, activating the unfolded protein response (UPR) as a cellular adaptive mechanism to restore . However, prolonged exposure leads to chronic UPR activation, where the adaptive phase transitions to a pro-apoptotic state, characterized by upregulation of transcription factors like CHOP (C/EBP homologous protein), promoting pathways. The chronic ER stress induced by tunicamycin disrupts calcium homeostasis, causing depletion of ER calcium stores and increased transfer of calcium to mitochondria via ER-mitochondria contact sites. This calcium dysregulation overloads mitochondrial calcium handling, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction, including impaired , production, and activation of mitophagy or . These interconnected effects amplify cellular damage, contributing to the compound's overall toxicity profile. In mammals, tunicamycin's toxicity manifests as organ-specific effects, particularly and , due to impaired synthesis and function in metabolically active liver and cells. In the liver, this results in , , and lipid accumulation, while in the kidneys, it causes acute through similar ER stress-mediated pathways. The (LD50) in mice via intraperitoneal administration is approximately 2 mg/kg, with fatality at higher doses attributed to widespread systemic blockade of and resultant multi-organ failure. Tunicamycin has no approved clinical use in humans due to its severe .

Safety Considerations

Tunicamycin is classified under the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) as an category 2 substance for oral exposure, with the hazard statement H300 indicating it is fatal if swallowed. It is also recognized as an irritant to and eyes, potentially causing redness, pain, or upon contact. In laboratory settings, safe handling requires the use of (PPE), including chemical-resistant gloves (such as ), safety glasses or goggles, and protective clothing to prevent skin and eye exposure. Operations should be performed in a well-ventilated to minimize of dust or aerosols, with strict protocols to avoid , such as prohibiting , , or in the work area and washing hands thoroughly after handling. If dust is generated, respiratory protection with a P3 filter is advised. For storage, tunicamycin should be kept at -20°C in tightly sealed, desiccated containers protected from light and moisture to preserve stability, offering a of 2–3 years under these conditions. Tunicamycin is designated exclusively as a and is not approved for therapeutic or commercial applications, with suppliers providing it under research use exemptions such as TSCA (40 CFR 720.36). Due to its properties, its distribution and use are subject to general regulatory oversight on antimicrobials in various countries to address concerns over potential contributions to resistance development.

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