Progress in Gliotoxin Research

Gliotoxin, an important fungal secondary metabolite, belongs to the class of epidithiodiketopiperazines (ETPs) and exhibits various biological activities, including immunosuppression, induction of apoptosis, and antimicrobial, antiviral, and antitumor effects. Since the initial discovery of gliotoxin and its derivatives from various fungal species, significant progress has been made in the development of isolation methods for these compounds. Understanding biosynthetic pathways and studying the functions of associated gene clusters have provided valuable mechanistic insights. To overcome the challenges of large-scale production, organic chemists have developed innovative strategies, including the construction of disulfide-containing diketopiperazine scaffolds, the synthesis of key intermediates, and the performance of enantioselective total synthesis. Recent research has further broadened our knowledge of their biological activities and molecular mechanisms, especially regarding apoptosis induction, immunomodulatory effects, antimicrobial and antitumor efficacy, structure-activity relationships, and pharmaceutical potential. This review systematically covers the evolution of gliotoxin research, from isolation techniques and biosynthetic gene cluster analysis to synthetic route development and pharmacological studies, emphasizing its diverse applications in biomedical and pesticide fields.