Prodigiosin

Prodigiosin is a water insoluble, potent proapoptotic compound that belongs to a family of prodiginines isolated from gram-negative bacteria, which share a pyrryldipyrrylmethene structure. Prodigiosin is also described as a red-pigmented antibiotic and is produced by Serratia marcescens strains. Reports indicate that Prodigiosin promotes cell cycle arrest at certain concentrations, elicits p21 expression independent of p53, and is negatively regulated by cyclic AMP. Cancer studies show that Prodigiosin induces apoptosis through caspase activation and downregulates survivin mRNA expression.