bafilomycin

Bafilomycin refers to a family of toxic macrolide antibiotics produced by various Streptomyces species. The most widely studied member is bafilomycin A1. Bafilomycins are potent and specific inhibitors of vacuolar-type H+-ATPase (V-ATPase), an enzyme complex responsible for acidifying intracellular compartments such as lysosomes and endosomes. By inhibiting V-ATPase, bafilomycins prevent the acidification required for lysosomal proteases to function, thereby blocking autophagic flux at the stage of autophagosome-lysosome fusion and subsequent degradation. This mechanism makes them valuable research tools in studies of autophagy and endosomal trafficking. Bafilomycins also exhibit anti-tumor, anti-parasitic, immunosuppressant, antifungal activity and have been shown to impair mitochondrial function as potassium ionophores[1][2][5][8].

Other names

bafilomycinbafilomycinsbafilomycin A1