kasugamycin

Kasugamycin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic first isolated from the bacterium *Streptomyces kasugaensis* in 1965. It is widely utilized as a systemic agricultural bactericide and fungicide, particularly effective against rice blast (*Magnaporthe oryzae*) and various bacterial diseases such as bacterial canker in tomatoes and kiwifruit. Its mechanism of action primarily involves inhibiting bacterial protein synthesis by binding to the E-site of the 30S ribosomal subunit, which prevents the formation of the 30S initiation complex and the recognition of the start codon by initiator tRNA. Unlike many other aminoglycosides, it exhibits low toxicity to mammals and fish. Beyond its agricultural use, recent biomedical research has identified kasugamycin as a pan-chitinase inhibitor and a specific antagonist of Chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1). This activity has demonstrated potential in preclinical models for reducing lung metastasis in melanoma and managing fibrotic diseases by modulating tumor-associated macrophage differentiation and the CHI3L1-EGFR signaling axis.

Brand names

KasuminKasumin-LKasugaminKasu-G

Other names

kasugamycin hydrochloridekasugamycin hydrochloride supervisantKsg