Unique Spindle Poisons, Curvularin and Its Derivatives, Isolated from Penicillium species

Abstract

Curvularin, 8-dehydrocurvularin, and 8-hydroxycurvularin as well as a minor new metabolite, 8-methoxycurvularin, were isolated as fungal metabolites having cytotoxic activity toward sea urchin embryogenesis. Curvularin induced barrel-shaped mitotic spindles and 8-dehydrocurvularin caused miniature spindles. They were shown to act on components of the mitotic apparatus and to effectively inhibit cell division. © 1988, Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry. All rights reserved.