Brazilian ant farm yields new antifungal compound
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Fungus-growing ants, found throughout the Americas, may prove to be a source of medically useful compounds, researchers say. Photo by Hectonichus/Wikimedia
Jan. 20 (UPI) Scientists have discovered a unique metabolite molecule utilized by a diversity of attine ants, or fungus-farming ants, in Brazil.
The the new molecule, attinimicin, described Wednesday in the journal ACS Central Science, is structurally too complex to serve as a useful drug model.
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Scientists say they are hopeful, however, that ongoing surveys of attine ant farms will eventually reveal medically useful compounds. We ve discovered several antifungal metabolites, like selvamicin, that have garnered significant interest, however it is an uphill climb to get anything into the clinic, study co-author Emily Mevers, who conducted the research while working as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School, told UPI in an email.