Staurosporine is a member of the K252a family of fungal alkaloids produce by Streptomyces staurospores. It is one of the most potent, cell permeable inhibitors of protein kinases, and it is often used to study the involvement of protein kinases in signal transduction pathways (IC50 0.7-20 nM).
In pheochromocytoma PC12 cells, neuroblastoma and brain primary culture Staurosporine is a functional neurotropins agonist promoting neurite outgrowth (EC50 = 50 nM).At concentrations higher then 0.5 μM Staurosporine generates apoptosis in several different cell types or induces G1 and G2 phase arrest in normal cells. Cell Signaling Activators and Inhibitors; Apoptosis Inducers. Protein Kinase Inhibitors and Activators; Protein Kinase Inhibitors (non specific)