Aspterric Acid (CAS: 67309-95-9)

Aspterric acid is a sesquiterpene secondary metabolite isolated from Aspergillus species. It inhibits pollen development in Arabidopsis thaliana and has recently been shown to target dihydroxyacid dehydratase in plants, supporting its potential use as a novel herbicide. In addition to its plant-targeting activity, aspterric acid has been reported to induce transdifferentiation of pancreatic α-cells into β-cells in zebrafish models through upregulation of Pax4 expression. These findings suggest that aspterric acid represents a multifunctional natural product with applications in plant biology and regenerative medicine research.