| Summary: | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The recent increase in bacterial resistance to antibiotics has promoted the exploration of novel antibacterial materials. As a result, many researchers are undertaking work to identify new lantibiotics because of their potent antimicrobial activities. The objective of this study was to provide details of a lantibiotic-like gene cluster in <it>Paenibacillus elgii </it>B69 and to produce the antibacterial substances coded by this gene cluster based on culture screening.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Analysis of the <it>P. elgii </it>B69 genome sequence revealed the presence of a lantibiotic-like gene cluster composed of five open reading frames (<it>elgT1</it>, <it>elgC</it>, <it>elgT2</it>, <it>elgB</it>, and <it>elgA</it>). Screening of culture extracts for active substances possessing the predicted properties of the encoded product led to the isolation of four novel peptides (elgicins AI, AII, B, and C) with a broad inhibitory spectrum. The molecular weights of these peptides were 4536, 4593, 4706, and 4820 Da, respectively. The N-terminal sequence of elgicin B was Leu-Gly-Asp-Tyr, which corresponded to the partial sequence of the peptide ElgA encoded by <it>elgA</it>. Edman degradation suggested that the product elgicin B is derived from ElgA. By correlating the results of electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry analyses of elgicins AI, AII, and C, these peptides are deduced to have originated from the same precursor, ElgA.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A novel lantibiotic-like gene cluster was shown to be present in <it>P. elgii </it>B69. Four new lantibiotics with a broad inhibitory spectrum were isolated, and these appear to be promising antibacterial agents.</p>
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