STRUCTURE OF CURACIN-A, A NOVEL ANTIMITOTIC, ANTIPROLIFERATIVE, AND BRINE SHRIMP TOXIC NATURAL PRODUCT FROM THE MARINE CYANOBACTERIUM LYNGBYA-MAJUSCULA

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the organic extract of a Curacao coll ection of Lyngbya majuscula led to the isolation of a new lipid, curac in A, with exceptional brine shrimp toxic and antiproliferative activi ties. Its unique thiazoline-containing structure has been deduced from spectroscopic information. Pure curacin A is an antimitotic agent (IC 50 values in three cell lines ranging from 7 to 200 nM) that inhibits microtubule assembly and the binding of colchicine to tubulin.