Myriocin

Myriocin, also known as Antibiotic ISP-1, Thermozymocidin, is an atypic amino acid, an antibiotic derived from certain thermophilic fungi. Among the producing strains are Mycelia sterilia and Isaria sinclairii.

Myriocin is a very potent inhibitor of serine palmitoyltransferase, the first step in sphingosine biosynthesis. Due to this property, it is used in biochemical research as a tool for depleting cells of sphingolipids.

Myriocin was shown to inhibit the proliferation of an IL-2-dependent mouse cytotoxic T cell line.

Myriocin possesses immunosuppressant activity. It is reported to be 10 to 100 fold more potent than cyclosporin.