Introduction: Lantibiotics are ribosomally synthesised peptides, which undergo extensive post-translational modification. Their mode of action and effectiveness against multi-drug-resistant pathogens, and relatively low toxicity, makes them attractive therapeutic options.
Areas Covered: This article provides background information on the four classes of lanthipeptides that have been described to date. Due to the clinical potential of these agents, specifically those from Class I and II, it is essential to identify organisms that harbour potentially interesting clusters encoding novel lantibiotics. Multiple emerging technologies have been applied to address this issue, including genome mining and specific bioinformatics programs designed to identify lantibiotic clusters present within the genome sequences. These clusters can then be effectively expressed using optimised heterologous expression systems, which are ideally amenable to large-scale production.
Expert Opinion: The continuing expansion of publicly available genomes, particularly genomes from microorganisms isolated from under-explored environments, combined with powerful bioinformatics tools able to accurately identify clusters of interest are of paramount importance in the discovery of novel lantibiotics. Detailed analysis of clusters drastically reduces dereplication time, which was often problematic when using the traditional method of isolation, purification and then identification. Allowing a more focused direction of 'wet lab' work, targeting the most promising agents, greatly increases the chance of novel lantibiotic discovery and development. High-throughput screening strategies are also required to enable the efficient analysis of these potentially clinically relevant agents.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1517/17460441.2014.877882 | DOI Listing |
J Glob Antimicrob Resist
January 2025
UCIBIO, Unidade de Ciências Biomoleculares Aplicadas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Laboratório Associado i4HB, Instituto para a Saúde e a Bioeconomia, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; UCIBIO, Unidade de Ciências Biomoleculares Aplicadas, Instituto Universitário de Ciências da Saúde (1H-TOXRUN, IUCS-CESPU), Gandra, Portugal. Electronic address:
Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) has become a critical opportunistic pathogen, urgently requiring new antimicrobial strategies due to its rising prevalence and significant impact on patient safety and healthcare costs. VREfm continues to evolve through mutations and the acquisition of new genes via horizontal gene transfer, contributing to resistance against several last-resort antibiotics. Although primarily hospital-associated, VREfm is also detected in the community, food chain, livestock, and environmental sources like wastewater, indicating diverse transmission pathways and the need for a One Health approach.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Clin Lab Anal
January 2025
Department of Research Analytics, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, India.
Background: In the oral environment, the production of bacteriocins or antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) plays a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance by impeding the proliferation of closely related microorganisms. This study aims to conduct in silico genome screening of Streptococcus salivarius to identify potential antimicrobial compounds existing as hypothetical peptides, with the goal of developing novel synthetic antimicrobial peptides.
Methods: Draft genomes of various oral Streptococcus salivarius strains were obtained from the NCBI database and subjected to analysis using bioinformatic tools, viz.
Front Microbiol
January 2025
College of Biology Resources and Environmental Sciences, Jishou University, Jishou, China.
Kiwifruit canker, caused by pv. (PSA), has led to significant losses in the kiwifruit industry each year. Due to the drug resistance feature of PSA, biological control is currently the most promising method.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Biol Macromol
January 2025
College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China. Electronic address:
Bacteriocins, naturally derived antimicrobial peptides, are considered promising alternatives to traditional preservatives and antibiotics, particularly in food and medical applications. Despite extensive research on various bacteriocins, cyclic varieties remain understudied. This study introduces Gassericin GA-3.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Mol Sci
January 2025
Characterization and Interventions for Foodborne Pathogens, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Wyndmoor, PA 19038, USA.
is a Gram-positive bacterium causing listeriosis, a severe infection responsible for significant morbidity and mortality globally. Its persistence on food processing surfaces via biofilm formation presents a major challenge, as conventional sanitizers and antimicrobials exhibit limited efficacy against biofilm-embedded cells. This study investigates a novel approach combining an engineered polysaccharide-degrading enzyme (CAase) with a bacteriocin (thermophilin 110) produced by .
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