gamma-4-Dihydroxy-2-(6-hydroxy-1-heptenyl)-4-cyclopentanecrotonic acid lambda -lactone; Ascotoxin; BFA; Cyanein; Decumbin;g-4-Dihdyroxy-2-(6-hydroxy-1-heptenyl)-4-cyclopentanecrotonic Acid, ∂-Lactone, BFA; Cyanein; Decumbin; Synergisidin; Nectrolide

Brefeldin A (BFA) is a fungal metabolite demonstrated to reversibly interfere with anterograde transport from the endoplasmic reticulumto the Golgi apparatus (1,2). While initially isolated as an antibiotic (3), and does have a wide range of antibiotic activity, it is primarily used as a biological research tool for studying protein transport. Treatment leads to a rapid accumulation of proteins within the ER and collapse of the Golgi stacks. Treatment with BFA can also inhibit protein secretion (4) and prolonged exposure can induce apoptosis (5). The main target of BFA appears to be ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF), which is responsible for association of coat protein to the Golgi membrane (6,7).