Triacsin C

Triacsin C is an inhibitor of long fatty acyl CoA synthetase that has been isolated from "Streptomyces aureofaciens". It blocks β-cell apoptosis, induced by fatty acids (lipoapoptosis) in a rat model of obesity. In addition, it blocks the de novo synthesis of triglycerides, diglycerides, and cholesterol esters, thus interfering with lipid metabolism.
In addition, triacsin C is a vasodilator.
Inhibition of lipid metabolism reduces/removes lipid droplets from HuH7 cells. In hepatitis C infected HuH7 cells, this reduction/removal of lipid droplets significantly reduces virion formation and release.
General chemical description.
Triacsin C belongs to a family of fungal metabolites all having an 11-carbon alkenyl chain with a common "N"-hydroxytriazene moiety at the terminus. Due to the "N"-hydroxytriazene group, triacsin C has acidic properties and may be considered a polyunsaturated fatty acid analog.
Triacsin C was discovered by Keizo Yoshida and other Japanese scientists in 1982 in a culture of the microbe "Streptomyces aureofaciens". They identified it as a vasodilator.