Ustalic acid
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Names | |
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| Preferred IUPAC name
(2E,2′E)-2,2′-(1,3-Dioxolane-4,5-diylidene)bis(phenylacetic acid) | |
| Identifiers | |
3D model (JSmol) |
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| Properties | |
| C19H14O6 | |
| Molar mass | 338.315 g·mol−1 |
| Appearance | White solid |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Ustalic acid is a naturally occurring chemical compound found in the poisonous mushroom Tricholoma ustale.
The compound was first reported by Japanese researcher Hirokazu Kawagishi and colleagues in 2002, who isolated about 190 milligrams of the chemical from 30.3 kg (67 lb) of fresh mushrooms and determined its complete structure.[1]
Toxicity
Ustalic acid is an inhibitor of the sodium-potassium pump (Na+/K+-ATPase), found in the plasma membrane of all animal cells. Physiologically, inhibition of the sodium-potassium pump generally causes diarrhea, as it prevents water reabsorption from the intestines. When force-fed to mice, ustalic acid causes them to sit still in a crouched position, hesitant to move, and induces tremors and abdominal contractions. High enough concentrations of the toxin (10 milligrams per mouse) cause death.[1] Biosynthetically, ustalic acid is thought to originate from oxidative cleavage of the red pigment phlebiarubron.[2]
