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Discovery of a Widely Distributed Antibiotic Biosynthesis Gene Cluster
Author(s) -
Mitchell Douglas A,
Lee Shaun,
Markley Andrew L.,
Hensler Mary E.,
Dixon Jack E.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.1026.9
Subject(s) - bacteriocin , operon , gene cluster , streptococcus pyogenes , antibiotics , pyrococcus furiosus , gene , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , clostridium , virulence , toxin , lantibiotics , computational biology , bacteria , genetics , escherichia coli , archaea , antimicrobial , staphylococcus aureus
Bacteriocins represent a large family of ribosomally‐produced antibiotics. Here, we describe the discovery of a widely‐conserved prokaryotic bacteriocin biosynthetic operon, encoding a toxin precursor and all of the necessary modifying enzymes for toxin maturation. We present evidence that the cytolytic Streptococcus pyogenes virulence factor, streptolysin S, and analogous toxins from Clostridium botulium and Pyrococcus furiosus are converted to highly active cytolysins by the actions of the modifying enzymes. These enzymes also accept alternate substrates, boosting hopes to exploit this system to create novel antibiotics.