Nigericin is an antibiotic derived from '' Streptomyces hygroscopicus''. Its isolation was described in the 1950s, and in 1968 the structure could be elucidated by

X-ray crystallography X-ray crystallography is the experimental science determining the atomic and molecular structure of a crystal, in which the crystalline structure causes a beam of incident X-rays to diffract into many specific directions. By measuring the angles ...

. The structure and properties of nigericin are similar to the antibiotic

monensin Monensin is a polyether antibiotic isolated from '' Streptomyces cinnamonensis''. It is widely used in ruminant animal feeds. The structure of monensin was first described by Agtarap et al. in 1967, and was the first polyether antibiotic to have ...

. Commercially it is obtained as a byproduct, or contaminant, at the fermentation of

Geldanamycin Geldanamycin is a 1,4-benzoquinone ansamycin antitumor antibiotic that inhibits the function of Hsp90 (Heat Shock Protein 90) by binding to the unusual ADP/ATP-binding pocket of the protein. HSP90 client proteins play important roles in the regula ...

. It is also called Polyetherin A, Azalomycin M, Helixin C, Antibiotic K178, Antibiotic X-464. Nigericin acts as an H⁺, K⁺, Pb²⁺

ionophore In chemistry, an ionophore () is a chemical species that reversibly binds ions. Many ionophores are lipid-soluble entities that transport ions across the cell membrane. Ionophores catalyze ion transport across hydrophobic membranes, such as liq ...

. Most commonly it is an antiporter of H⁺ and K⁺. In the past nigericin was used as an antibiotic active against

gram positive In bacteriology, gram-positive bacteria are bacteria that give a positive result in the Gram stain test, which is traditionally used to quickly classify bacteria into two broad categories according to their type of cell wall. Gram-positive bact ...

bacteria Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one Cell (biology), biological cell. They constitute a large domain (biology), domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometr ...

. It inhibits the Golgi functions in Eukaryotic cells. Its ability to induce K⁺ efflux also makes it a potent activator of the

NLRP3 NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) (previously known as NACHT, LRR and PYD domains-containing protein 3 ALP3and cryopyrin), is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''NLRP3'' gene located on the long arm of chromosome 1. NLRP3 is ...

inflammasome Inflammasomes are cytosolic multiprotein oligomers of the innate immune system responsible for the activation of inflammatory responses. Activation and assembly of the inflammasome promotes proteolytic cleavage, maturation and secretion of pro-in ...

References

External links

Commercial supplier of nigericin sodium
{{Glutamate metabolism and transport modulators Antibiotics Ionophores Tetrahydrofurans Tetrahydropyrans Primary alcohols Lactols Hemiketals Vicinal diols Carboxylic acids Spiro compounds Ketals