Abstract
Metabolites of the thermophilic fungi Myriococcum albomyces and Mycelia sterilia such as myriocin (1), the mycestericins (2-8) and the sphingofungins (13-18) structurally resemble the sphingosines, important components of cell membranes. All the compounds revealed in vitro remarkable immunosuppressive activity and their pharmaceutical potential has led to the development of promising novel immunosuppressants. This review article describes the abundance, biology and chemistry of these metabolites.
Keywords: homologues, sphingosines, myriocin, immunosuppressant, isolation, fermentation, diseases, total syntheses