The Open Natural Products Journal

2013, 6 : 12-30
Published online 2013 November 1. DOI: 10.2174/1874848101306010012
Publisher ID: TONPJ-6-12

Synthetic Approaches Towards Tubulysins and Derivatives Thereof

Uli Kazmaier , Angelika Ullrich and Judith Hoffmann
Institute of Organic Chemistry, Saarland University, Bldg. C4.2, 66123 Saarbruecken, Germany.

ABSTRACT

Tubulysins, linear tetrapeptides produced by several strains of myxobacteria, show an extremely high toxicity towards a wide range of cancer cell lines, with IC50 values in the nano or even picomolar range. Therefore, tubulysins and their derivatives might be suitable candidates for the development of antitumor drugs. Several synthetic approaches for tubulysins and derivates have been developed, which will be discussed in the review.

Keywords:

Antitumor drugs, myxobacteria, peptides.