ArticlePloS one2012
Proton-shuttling lichen compound usnic acid affects mitochondrial and lysosomal function in cancer cells.
Article in PloS one, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 38 citations in OpenAlex.
- Antioxidant activity and mechanisms of action of natural compounds isolated from lichens: a systematic review.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2014Pooled it
- Targeting heat shock protein 90 with usnic acid relieves immune suppression via aryl hydrocarbon receptor-mediated mechanisms in lung cancer.Molecular biomedicine · 2025Article
- Multifaceted Properties of Usnic Acid in Disrupting Cancer Hallmarks.Biomedicines · 2024Review
- BRAF inhibitor candidate molecule usnic acid might use both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of apoptosis.Turkish journal of medical sciences · 2024Article
- The pyrazole derivative of usnic acid inhibits the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.Cancer cell international · 2023Article
- Usnic Acid-Mediated Exchange of Protons for Divalent Metal Cations across Lipid Membranes: Relevance to Mitochondrial Uncoupling.International journal of molecular sciences · 2022Article
- ROS-Induced DNA-Damage and Autophagy in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma byInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2022Article
- Modulation of Cellular Circadian Rhythms by Secondary Metabolites of Lichens.Frontiers in cellular neuroscience · 2022Article
- Usnic Acid andAntioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Article
- Anticancer Potential of Lichens' Secondary Metabolites.Biomolecules · 2020Review
- (+)-Usnic Acid Inhibits Migration of c-KIT Positive Cells in Human Colorectal Cancer.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2018Article
- A pharmacological screen for compounds that rescue the developmental lethality of a Drosophila ATM mutant.PloS one · 2018Article
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The lichen compound usnic acid (UA) is a lipophilic weak acid that acts as a proton shuttle and causes loss of mitochondrial inner membrane potential. In the current study we show that UA treatment induced the formation of autophagosomes in human cancer cells, but had minimal effects on normal human fibroblasts. However, autophagic flux was incomplete, degradation of autophagosomal content did not occur and acidification was defective. UA-treated cells showed reduced ATP levels and activation of AMP kinase as well as signs of cellular stress. UA is thus likely to trigger autophagosome formation both by energy depletion and stress conditions. Our findings indicate that the H(+)-shuttling effect of UA operates not only in mitochondria as previously shown, but also in lysosomes, and have implications for therapeutic manipulation of autophagy and pH-determined drug distribution.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.