Clavaric acid is a
triterpenoid
Triterpenes are a class of chemical compounds composed of three terpene units with the molecular formula C30H48; they may also be thought of as consisting of six isoprene units. Animals, plants and fungi all produce triterpenes, including squal ...
produced by the mushroom ''
Hypholoma sublateritium''. Clavaric acid was discovered by
Merck Research Laboratories in a random screening of natural extracts. Clavaric acid is a reversible
farnesyltransferase inhibitor
The farnesyltransferase inhibitors (FTIs) are a class of experimental cancer drugs that target protein farnesyltransferase with the downstream effect of preventing the proper functioning of the Ras (protein), which is commonly abnormally active in ...
with an
IC50 of 1.3 μM.
References
{{Reflist
Lanostanes
Triterpenes