Isaria sinclairii

Isaria sinclairii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Fungi
Phylum:	Ascomycota
Class:	Sordariomycetes
Order:	Hypocreales
Family:	Clavicipitaceae
Genus:	Isaria
Species:	I. sinclairii
Binomial name
Isaria sinclairii (Berk.) Lloyd
Synonyms [1]
Cordyceps sinclairii Berk. (teleomorph) Torrubia caespitosa Tul. & C. Tul. Cordyceps caespitosa (Tul. & C. Tul.) Sacc.

Isaria sinclairii is a species of entomopathogenic fungus. It produces myriocin, from which synthetic drug fingolimod, a treatment for multiple sclerosis, was developed.

Ecology

Isaria sinclairii is a fungus which attacks insects, including cicada larvae. The larvae typically die just beneath the soil surface, and the fungus produces white tufts which grow up from the soil and release powdery white spores.^[2]

Uses

Myriocin (2-amino-3,4-dihydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-14-oxoicos-6-enoic acid) is a sphingolipid derivative produced by I. sinclairii, which was shown in 1994 to have immunosuppressive properties.^[3][4] A synthetic derivative was developed to have greater effectiveness lower toxicity and named FTY720, or fingolimod.^[3][5] This is the first oral disease-modifying drug for multiple sclerosis.^[3] Species closely related to Isaria sinclairii, such as Cordyceps sinensis, have been used in traditional Chinese medicine as an elixir of eternal youth.^[4]

Taxonomy

Isaria sinclairii is the name of the anamorph; the teleomorph is Cordyceps sinclairii.^[4] It was first described in 1855 by Miles Joseph Berkeley, and transferred to the genus Isaria in 1923 by Curtis Gates Lloyd.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Species: Isaria sinclairii (Berk.) Lloyd [stat. anam.], Mycological Writings 7: 1179 (1923)". New Zealand Fungi. Landcare Research. http://nzfungi.landcareresearch.co.nz/html/data.asp?NAMEPKey=5011. Retrieved March 25, 2011. 
2. ^ "Isaria". Fungal Guide. Landcare Research. http://fungalguide.landcareresearch.co.nz/WebForms/FG_Genus.aspx?Group=Isaria&pk=5008. Retrieved March 25, 2011. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} "Myriocin". Lipid Maps. October 27, 2010. doi:10.1038/lipidmaps.2010.34. http://www.lipidmaps.org/update/2010/101101/full/lipidmaps.2010.34.html. 
4. ^ ^{a b c} Tetsuro Fujita, Kenichiro Inoue, Satoshi Yamamoto, Takeshi Ikumoto, Shigeo Sasaki, Ryousuke Toyama, Kenji Chiba, Yukio Hoshino & Takeki Okumoto (1994). "Fungal metabolites. Part 11. A potent immunosuppressive activity found in Isaria sinclairii metabolite". The Journal of Antibiotics 47 (2): 208–215. PMID 8150717. http://www.journalarchive.jst.go.jp/english/jnlabstract_en.php?cdjournal=antibiotics1968&cdvol=47&noissue=2&startpage=208. 
5. ^ Tetsuro Fujita, Kenichiro Inoue, Satoshi Yamamoto, Takeshi Ikumoto, Shigeo Sasaki, Ryousuke Toyama, Kenji Chiba, Yukio Hoshino & Takeki Okumoto (1994). "Fungal metabolites. Part 12. Potent immunosuppressant, 14-deoxomyriocin, (2S,3R,4R)-(E)-2-amino-3,4-dihydroxy-2-hydroxymethyleicos-6-enoic acid and structure-activity relationships of myriocin derivatives". The Journal of Antibiotics 47 (2): 216–224. http://www.journalarchive.jst.go.jp/english/jnlabstract_en.php?cdjournal=antibiotics1968&cdvol=47&noissue=2&startpage=216. 

External links

Fungi portal

• ARS Collection of Entomopathogenic Fungal Cultures