Kampanols: novel ras farnesyl-protein transferase inhibitors from Stachybotrys kampalensis

Farnesyl-protein transferase (FPTase) is a critical enzyme that participates in the post-translational modification of the Ras protein. Inhibitors of this enzyme have the potential of being novel anticancer agents for tumors in which the ras oncogene is found mutated and contributes to cell transformation. Continued screening of natural product extracts led to the isolation of kampanols, which are novel and specific inhibitors of FPTase. The most active kampanols exhibited IC50values between 7 to 13 μM against human recombinant FPTase. The isolation, structure determination, and biological activity of these compounds are described.