A novel cyanobacterial peptide inhibits cyanobacterial toxins
The liver is damaged by cyanobacterial toxins such as microcystin and nodularin. Interestingly, the same group of organisms seem to synthesize a cyclic peptide that can inhibit the action of these toxins on liver cells.
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Researchers at TSG have, together with the group of Acad. Prof. Kaarina Sivonen at the University of Helsinki isolated and identified a novel cyclic peptide from a cyanobacterium from the Baltic Sea. The peptide (Nostocyclopeptide M1, Ncp-M1) was found to be a potent inhibitor of Microcystin-induced apoptosis in hepatocytes, an activity not previously associated with cyanobacterial natural compounds. When other nostocyclopeptides were tested, they were found to be less potent inhibitors of hepatocyte apoptosis. The findings was recently published in Chembiochem.
