Fusaric acid is a
picolinic acid
Picolinic acid is an organic compound with the formula . It is a derivative of pyridine with a carboxylic acid (COOH) substituent at the 2-position. It is an isomer of nicotinic acid and isonicotinic acid, which have the carboxyl side chain at th ...
derivative
In mathematics, the derivative is a fundamental tool that quantifies the sensitivity to change of a function's output with respect to its input. The derivative of a function of a single variable at a chosen input value, when it exists, is t ...
and an antibiotic (wilting agent) first isolated from the fungus ''
Fusarium heterosporium''.
It is typically isolated from various
Fusarium
''Fusarium'' (; ) is a large genus of filamentous fungi, part of a group often referred to as hyphomycetes, widely distributed in soil and associated with plants. Most species are harmless saprobes, and are relatively abundant members of the s ...
species, and has been proposed for a various therapeutic applications. However, it is primarily used as a research tool.
Its mechanism of action is not well understood. It likely inhibits
Dopamine beta-hydroxylase (the
enzyme
An enzyme () is a protein that acts as a biological catalyst by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrate (chemistry), substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different mol ...
that converts
dopamine
Dopamine (DA, a contraction of 3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamine) is a neuromodulatory molecule that plays several important roles in cells. It is an organic chemical of the catecholamine and phenethylamine families. It is an amine synthesized ...
to
norepinephrine
Norepinephrine (NE), also called noradrenaline (NA) or noradrenalin, is an organic compound, organic chemical in the catecholamine family that functions in the brain and human body, body as a hormone, neurotransmitter and neuromodulator. The ...
). It may also have other actions, such as the inhibition of
cell proliferation
Cell proliferation is the process by which ''a cell grows and divides to produce two daughter cells''. Cell proliferation leads to an exponential increase in cell number and is therefore a rapid mechanism of tissue growth. Cell proliferation ...
and
DNA synthesis. Fusaric acid and analogues also reported as
quorum sensing
In biology, quorum sensing or quorum signaling (QS) is the process of cell-to-cell communication that allows bacteria to detect and respond to cell population density by gene regulation, typically as a means of acclimating to environmental disadv ...
inhibitors.
[Tung et al., Eur. J. Med. Chem. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2016.11.044.]
It is used to make
bupicomide.
References
External links
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{{Authority control
Carboxylic acids
Oxidoreductase inhibitors
Disubstituted pyridines
Butyl compounds