Tunicamycin

Tunicamycin is mixture of homologous nucleoside antibiotics that block the reaction of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine and dolichyl phosphate in the first step of glycoprotein synthesis. This blocks the synthesis of all N-linked glycoproteins (N-glycans) and causes cell cycle arrest in G1 phase. It is used as an experimental tool in biology. Tunicamycin is produced by the bacterium Streptomyces Iysosuperficus.

See also

• Glycosylation - tunicamycin blocks all N-glycosylation of proteins
• Glycoprotein
• Streptomyces the genus
• the species Streptomyces clavuligerus produces a related molecule

External links

• book section of Essentials in Glycobiology (1999) Tunicamycin: Inhibition of DOL-PP-GlcNAc Assembly
• Tunicamycin data sheet prepared by a student of the Open University, UK
• Tunicamycin product details of the company USBiologicals