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Phleomycin

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Mechanism of Action of Antieukaryotic and Antiviral Compounds

Part of the book series: Antibiotics ((1512,volume 5 / 2))

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Abstract

Maeda et al. reported the isolation of phleomycin in 1956. It is a broad spectrum antibiotic with unusually high specific activity against Mycobacteriumphlei and its name is derived from this latter property (Maeda, 1965). Phleomycin is isolated from the water-soluble, basic fraction of the culture fluid of Streptomyces verticillus. As initially isolated, phleomycin is a copper-containing blue powder (Takita, 1959); treatment with hydroxyquinoline removes the copper, leaving a white powder which, except for a slight reduction in activity against mycobacteria, has undiminished antibacterial properties. In 1964 Ikekawa et al. demonstrated that copper-containing phleomycin is a mixture of approximately 12 related components. These compounds, A, B, C, D1 D2, E, F, G, H, I, J, and K, were resolved by Sephadex column chromatography. Unless otherwise indicated, “phleomycin” will continue to refer to this complex of antibiotics for the remainder of this review.

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Authors
  1. Ch. F. Earhart Jr.
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of the Army, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., 20012, USA

    Fred E. Hahn Ph.D.

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Earhart, C.F. (1979). Phleomycin. In: Hahn, F.E. (eds) Mechanism of Action of Antieukaryotic and Antiviral Compounds. Antibiotics, vol 5 / 2. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-46407-2_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-46407-2_14

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-46409-6

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