Scientists based at Oregon State University have conducted research that shows how a describes a soil-living bacterium produces chemicals that can induce death in melanoma cells. The chemical is called mensacarcin and it was first isolated from Streptomyces bacteria. From this the researchers conclude that mensacarcin is a promising model for the development of new anticancer drugs.
Mensacarcin is a highly oxygenated polyketide; it is classed as a secondary metabolite, and can be obtained in large amounts from its producing bacterium.
The new research builds upon earlier work from Oregon State University. This showed the effect against melanoma cells occurs by specific disruption of mitochondrial function in human cells (the most prominent roles of mitochondria are to produce the energy currency of the cell, in the form of ATP – adenosine triphosphate). Here a synthesized fluorescent probe of mensacarcin was localized to the mitochondria within 20 minutes of treatment.
With the new research, mensacarcin was produced by the bacterium Streptomyces bottropensis. The research was conducted under laboratory conditions, that is using cell lines. Here strong antiproliferative effects were shown with in all tested skin cancer cell lines, suggesting that the metabolite could be used as the basis of an anti-cancer drug. Importantly, no trials have yet to be conducted on human subjects.
The findings have been published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. The article is entitled “The Natural Product Mensacarcin Induces Mitochondrial Toxicity and Apoptosis in Melanoma Cells.”
