Aphidicolin is a tetracyclic diterpene antibiotic first isolated from the fungus Lecanicillium muscarium (formerly Cephalosporium aphidicola) with antiviral and antimitotic properties. Aphidicolin is a reversible inhibitor of eukaryotic nuclear DNA replication. It blocks the cell cycle at early S phase. It is a specific inhibitor of DNA polymerase Alpha and Delta in eukaryotic cells and in some viruses (vaccinia and herpesviruses) and an apoptosis inducer in HeLa cells. Natural aphidicolin is also a secondary metabolite of the fungus Nigrospora oryzae.

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