Lantibiotics and Similar Peptides Produced by and Active on Gram-Positives: Discovery, Development and Perspectives

Abstract

Lantibiotics are a group of ribosomally synthesised peptides that contain post-translational modifications consisting of (methyl)lanthionine residues forming bridges that confer them characteristic structures. Most lantibiotics are antibacterials that bind to the cell wall precursor lipid II. They can be rod shaped or globular depending on the distribution of the lanthionine residues. Their biosynthetic pathway is relatively simple when compared to other secondary metabolites. Due to this simplicity, genetic manipulation of the pathways is a very attractive tool to obtain variants that might have improved properties. Mutagenesis programmes have shown that the biosynthetic machinery of lantibiotics has relaxed specificity allowing the production of large collections of variants.

Lanthipeptides: chemical synthesis versus in vivo biosynthesis as tools for pharmaceutical production

“…In 2007, a report on a phase II clinical studies on aerosolized duramycin (Moli1901) for the treatment of cystic fibrosis revealed exciting results [ 131 ]. This drug, which is jointly developed by Lantibio (North Carolina, USA) and AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals (Vienna, Austria) [ 132 ] has completed phase II clinical trials for the treatment of cystic fibrosis [ 133 ].…”