A novel tricyclic metabolite, brasilicardin A (1), with potent immunosuppressive activity has been isolated from the cultured broth of the actinomycete Nocardia brasiliensis IFM 0406, and the structure including absolute stereochemistry was established on the basis of spectroscopic data, chemical means, and X-ray analysis. Brasilicardin A (1) is the first tricyclic compound consisting of an anti/syn/anti-perhydrophenanthrene skeleton with a rhamnose, an N-acetylglucosamine, and an amino acid moiety