Romidepsin

Romidepsin is undoubtedly a useful probe, especially for understanding and comparing relative selectivity across different HDAC family members (cf. PMID 20139990) , because it displays a range of activities against these family members, spanning almost 6 orders of magnitude. A few caveats should be kept in mind when using this compound in cells or animals: 1) because of its activity against many HDACs, it is probably best used as part of a panel of agents in comparison with other more selective compounds; 2) while the concentrations recommended are correct for mammalian cells, earlier work in yeast suggests that with yeast cells a higher concentration might be needed (>10 uM); and 3) as an approved drug, romidepsin is associated with a number of adverse effects, which makes its use as an in vivo research probe questionable.

Romidepsin is a highly potent probe of class I histone deacetylases with cellular activity in the low nanomolar range. It is suitable for in vivo experiments.