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Projekt Druckansicht

Novel ribosomally synthesized peptide antibiotics from microbial genomes

Fachliche Zuordnung Parasitologie und Biologie der Erreger tropischer Infektionskrankheiten
Förderung Förderung von 2008 bis 2015
Projektkennung Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 33421847
 
Erstellungsjahr 2019

Zusammenfassung der Projektergebnisse

Many bacteria produce gene encoded, ribosomally synthesized peptides, which display antibacterial activity. These peptides often contain post-translational modifications, e.g. thioethers or thiazole/oxazole rings. All modified amino acids are introduced by unique enzymes which are encoded in the vicinity of the structural genes in biosynthetic gene clusters. The focus of the project was the expression of such peptides that are encoded in sequenced bacterial genomes but have not yet been characterized. A number of different gene clusters of sequenced strains was tested for expression, among them also an archeal gene cluster. In the end, we focussed on the most promising peptide that had been idenfied by BLAST searches using the mersacidin biosynthetic enzyme (MrsM) in the NCBI database and derived from a new class II lantibiotic gene cluster in Bacillus pseudomycoides DSM 12442. Mass spectrometric analysis identified a peptide of m/z 2,786 Da in the active fraction of the cell wash extract. The peptide and site directed mutants were expressed in Escherichia coli along with the modifying enzyme. This resulted in the production of a modified peptide with the correct mass, harboring four out of eight possible dehydrations and supported the presence of four thioether and one disulfide bridge. After proteolytic activation by removal of the leader sequence, the core peptide showed antimicrobial activity. A preliminary structure was proposed from MS/MS measurements of the mutant peptides but will have to be confirmed by NMR. Surprisingly, during the purification procedure a second substance was isolated from the producer strain. This substance shows a pronounced synergy with pseudomycoicidin and might be produced by a nearby non-ribosomal peptide biosynthesis gene cluster, which, however has yet to be proven. If it is a non-ribosomal peptide, this would be the first time that such a synergy has been described. Mode of action experiments showed that the mixture of both substances is able to destroy the membrane potential and induce slow efflux of potassium ions. Indicator strains that harbor fusions of promoters reacting to different antibiotic stresses demonstrated that pseudomycoicidin but not the second substance might interfere with cell wall biosynthesis. In conclusion, the current hypothesis is that pseudomycoicidin might bind to lipid II and then form a complex with the second substance, resulting in membrane damage.

Projektbezogene Publikationen (Auswahl)

 
 

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