News & Events

When

Date - April 25, 2018
1:00 pm

What

MS Thesis Defense – CHE 602
Talk Title: Growth media studies approach to enhanced production of the bioactive fungal metabolite Viridicatumtoxin A
Advisor: Dr. Nicholas Oberlies

Abstract:

Talk Title: Growth media studies approach to enhanced production of the bioactive fungal metabolite Viridicatumtoxin A

Abstract: Viridicatumtoxin A is a unique tetracycline-like aromatic polyketide first isolated as a mycotoxin from Penicillium viridicatum in 1973. Along with its 5-oxo derivative, viridicatumtoxin B, discovered in 2008 from the liquid fermentation cultures of another Penicillium sp. (strain FR11) have exhibited cytotoxicity against the NCI-H460 human lung carcinoma cell line, KB3-1 human cervix carcinoma cell line, and SW620 human colon carcinoma cell line with reported moderate IC₅₀ values. Based on the scarcity and the more bioactive properties of viridicatumtoxin B, Nicolaou and coworkers in 2013 achieved the total synthesis of viridicatumtoxin B; albeit through a lengthy protocol which would not be scalable. In this context, and as part of our ongoing research centered on the optimization of drug leads for the treatment of cancer, my project is focused on the enhanced production of viridicatumtoxin A from fungal cultures which would provide materials for synthesis of more bioactive analogues.