Scytonemin

Scytonemin is a hydrophobic alkaloid pigment that can be isolated from the outer sheath of cyanobacteria. Scytonemin has protective function against short-wave solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which can reduce the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the formation of DNA damage. Scytonemin also has anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activities, produces concentration-dependent inhibition (IC50=2.0 μM) of polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1)-mediated cdc25C phosphorylation, and plays an important role in regulating the G2/M transition in the cell cycle. It can be used in the research of cancer, acute inflammation and sunscreen cosmetics[1][2][3][4][5].

[1]Proteau PJ, et al. The structure of scytonemin, an ultraviolet sunscreen pigment from the sheaths of cyanobacteria. Experientia. 1993 Sep 15;49(9):825-9.|[2]Rastogi RP, et al. Cyanobacterial Sunscreen Scytonemin: Role in Photoprotection and Biomedical Research. Appl Biochem Biotechnol. 2015 Jul;176(6):1551-63.|[3]Gerwick, et al. "Antimutagenic, antiinflammatory, and potential anticancer substances from marine algae." Food Factors for Cancer Prevention. Springer Japan, 1997.|[4]Stevenson, et al. "The identification and characterization of the marine natural product scytonemin as a novel antiproliferative pharmacophore." Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 303.2 (2002): 858-866.|[5]Degenhardt, et al. "Targeting Polo-like kinase in cancer therapy." Clinical cancer research 16.2 (2010): 384-389.