Argyrins, immunosuppressive cyclic peptides from myxobacteria. I. Production, isolation, physico-chemical and biological properties.

A group of cyclic peptides consisting of 8 amino acid residues, named argyrins A to H, were isolated from the culture broth of strains of the myxobacterium Archangium gephyra. Argyrin B was found to be a potent inhibitor of T cell independent antibody formation by murine B cells and strongly inhibited the two way murine mixed lymphocyte reaction. All argyrins had slight antibiotic activity, especially against Pseudomonas sp., and inhibited growth of mammalian cell cultures. The growth inhibition was often incomplete and varied highly with different cell lines.