molecule of the day: milrinone

The molecule of the day is milrinone:

It's a drug that provides short-term benefits for heart transplant and heart failure patients by increasing heart contractility, but in the long-term it causes arrhythmia.  It inhibits type 3 phosphodiesterases (PDE3s).  Recent work suggests that its target in heart is probably the A isoform (PDE3A) (which is not that surprising given that it's PDE3A that's mostly expressed in heart muscle).

molecules of the day: filipin and amphotericin B

The molecules of the day are filipin:

(PubChem)









and amphotericin B:

 (PubChem)

They're antibiotics that work by associating with cholesterol and thereby altering membrane structure.  (Not clear to me why that would select prokaryotic over eukaryotic cells: any ideas?)