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Updated: Jun 4, 2026

A Fluorescence-based Protocol for Preliminary Screening of Protein Synthesis Inhibitors from Natural Sources
Published on: January 27, 2026
Marine natural product aurilide activates the OPA1-mediated apoptosis by binding to prohibitin
Shin-ichi Sato1, Asako Murata, Tsubasa Orihara
1Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan.
Abstract:
Aurilide is a potent cytotoxic marine natural product that induces apoptosis in cultured human cells at the picomolar to nanomolar range; however, its mechanism of action has been unknown. Results of the present study showed that aurilide selectively binds to prohibitin 1 (PHB1) in the mitochondria, activating the proteolytic processing of optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) and resulting in mitochondria-induced apoptosis. The mechanism of aurilide cytotoxicity suggests that PHB1 is an apoptosis-regulating protein amenable to modulation by small molecules. Aurilide may serve as a small-molecule tool for studies of mitochondria-induced apoptosis.
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