Mycophenolic acid (MPA), isolated from Penicillium brevicompactum, is a potent and selective inhibitor of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH). It is widely used as an immunosuppressive agent and a selective marker in cell culture.
Mycophenolic acid is an antibiotic that acts as a specific inhibitor of IMP dehydrogenase, an enzyme critical for the de novo biosynthesis of purine nucleotides. By depleting intracellular guanine nucleotide pools, MPA effectively inhibits DNA synthesis in T and B lymphocytes. In molecular biology, it is commonly used as a selection agent for transfected animal cells that express the E. coli gene for xanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (gpt). Additionally, it has been shown to induce monocyte differentiation and apoptosis in various human lymphoid and monocytic cell lines.
Advantages
- Highly selective mode of action targeting IMP dehydrogenase (IMPDH1 and IMPDH2).
- High purity (≥98% by HPLC) for consistent research results.
- Effective as a selection agent in mammalian cell transfection (recommended concentration: 25 µg/mL).
- Well-characterized bioactive small molecule developed by Novartis.
- Stable for up to 5 years when stored desiccated at 2–8 °C.
Technical specifications
| Catalogue number | M5255 |
| Brand | Sigma-Aldrich |
| CAS Number | 24280-93-1 |
| Molecular Formula | C17H20O6 |
| Molecular Weight | 320.34 g/mol |
| Assay (HPLC) | ≥98% |
| Quality Level | 300 |
| Form | Powder (White to yellow-white) |
| Storage Temperature | 2–8 °C (Desiccated) |
