AdipoGen Life Sciences Bafilomycin A1

The bafilomycins are a family of macrolide antibiotics produced from a variety of Streptomycetes which exhibit a wide range of biological activity, including anti-tumour, anti-parasitic, anti-viral, anti-fungal and immunosuppressant activity. Bafilomycin A₁ selectively inhibits vacuolar H⁺-ATPases and is a potent inhibitor of cellular autophagy where it either blocks autophagosome-lysosome fusion or blocks lysosomal degradation.

Bafilomycin interferes with autophagy by inhibiting the acidification of the lysosome through its interaction with V-ATPase. Lack of lysosomal acidification prevents the activity of lysosomal proteases like cathepsins so that engulfed cargo can no longer be degraded.

Bafilomycin A₁ has been described to have several other biological activities: it induces apoptosis or acts as a K⁺ ionophore; induces mitochondrial swelling in the presence of K⁺ ions; stimulates the oxidation of pyrimidine nucleotides and uncouple oxidative phosphorylation; inhibits V‐ATPase activity; inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication; inhibits the growth of tumour cells by blocking the acidification of lysosomes; promotes the clearance of accumulated cellular waste from lysosomes; and helps to protect neurons from damage.

AdipoGen Life Sciences’ Bafilomycin A₁ is distributed in Australia and New Zealand by Sapphire Bioscience.