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Biosynthesis of the Lantibiotic Pep5 and Mode of Action of Type A Lantibiotics

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Bacteriocins, Microcins and Lantibiotics

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((ASIH,volume 65))

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Abstract

Lantibiotics are a group of bacteriocin-like peptides produced by Gram-positive bacteria which differ from all other bacteriocins by their content of didehydroamino acids (dehydroalanine and dehydrobutyrine) and thioether amino acids (lanthionine and 3-methyllanthionine). Currently, two types of lantibiotics are distinguished: Type A which comprises elongated, screw-shaped, amphipathic peptides with molecular masses of more than 2100 Da (Pep5, subtilin, epidermin, gallidermin and the widely used food preservative nisin) and type B lantibiotics which are of globular shape and have molecular masses of 1800 to 2100 Da (cinnamycin, several closely related duramycins and ancovenin). Type A lantibiotics are produced by bacilli, staphylococci, streptococci and lactococci and show strong antimicrobial activities based on formation of short-lived channels in energized membranes; type B lantibiotics are produced by streptomycetes and display less pronounced antibacterial activities but interesting other biological activities instead. For detailed reading on lantibiotics see Jung & Sahl (1991).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str.25, 5300, Bonn-Venusberg, Germany

    H.-G. Sahl

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  1. H.-G. Sahl
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, UK

    Richard James

  2. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre de Biochimie et de Biologie Moléculaire, 31, chemin Joseph Aiguier, B. P. 71, 13402, Marseille Cédex 9, France

    Claude Lazdunski

  3. European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, Postfach 10 22 09, 6900, Heidelberg, Germany

    Franc Pattus

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© 1992 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Sahl, HG. (1992). Biosynthesis of the Lantibiotic Pep5 and Mode of Action of Type A Lantibiotics. In: James, R., Lazdunski, C., Pattus, F. (eds) Bacteriocins, Microcins and Lantibiotics. NATO ASI Series, vol 65. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-76974-0_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-76974-0_10

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-76976-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-76974-0

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