Open AccessMechanism of natural resistance to kirromycin‐type antibiotics in actinomycetes
Author(s) -
Glöckner Claudia,
Wolf Heinz
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1984.tb01387.x
Subject(s) - antibiotics , microbiology and biotechnology , streptomyces , biology , drug resistance , bacteria , genetics
The sensitivity of intact cells and subcellular fractions of actinomycetes to kirromycin and pulvomycin was examined. These antibiotics block bacterial protein synthesis by acting on elongation factor Tu (EF‐Tu). Two types of natural resistance were encountered in actinomycetes. Some strains were resistant to kirromycin and pulvomycin by virtue of inefficient cellular uptake of these drugs. In 3 strains, kirromycin resistance was attributable to a drug‐insensitive EF‐Tu. These 3 organisms produce kirromycin‐type antibiotics: Streptomyces cinnamomeus, Streptomyces lactamdurans and Streptoverticillium mobaraense synthesize kirrothricin, efrotomycin and pulvomycin, respectively. In S. cinnamomeus and S. lactamdurans resistance to their own antibiotic is due to possession of a nonresponding EF‐Tu factor, whereas pulvomycin resistance in Sv. mobaraense is more likely derived from the permeability properties of the cell envelope.