Abyssomicins-A 20-Year Retrospective View.

Area of Science:

• Marine microbiology
• Natural product chemistry
• Antibiotic discovery

Background:

• Abyssomicins are a novel class of polycyclic macrolactones.
• The marine actinomycete Verrucosispora maris AB-18-032 produces abyssomicins B, C, atrop-C, and D.
• These were isolated from Japanese Sea sediment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the antibiotic properties of abyssomicins.
• To identify the mechanism of action for active abyssomicins.

Main Methods:

• Isolation and characterization of abyssomicins from Verrucosispora maris.
• Antibacterial activity screening against Gram-positive bacteria.
• Enzyme inhibition assays targeting 4-amino-4-deoxychorismate synthase.

Main Results:

• Abyssomicin C and atrop-abyssomicin C exhibit significant activity against multi-resistant and vancomycin-resistant Gram-positive bacteria.
• The mechanism involves selective inhibition of 4-amino-4-deoxychorismate synthase.
• This enzyme is crucial for para-aminobenzoic acid synthesis in the folic acid pathway.

Conclusions:

• Abyssomicin C and atrop-abyssomicin C are promising leads for novel antibiotic development.
• Targeting the folic acid pathway via 4-amino-4-deoxychorismate synthase is a viable strategy against resistant bacteria.