[Lantibiotics, a class of ribosomally synthesized peptide antibiotics]

Lantibiotics are defined as peptide antibiotics containing the unusual amino acids mesolanthionine, 3-methyllanthionine, dehydroalanine, and dehydrobutyrine. They are synthesized by some gram-positive bacteria. Their inhibitory effect on certain other gram-positive bacteria is explained by detergent-like damage of cytoplasmic membranes. Prominent members of the lantibiotics are nisin of Lactococcus lactis, which can be used as a food preservative, subtilin of Bacillus subtilis, which is similar to nisin, and epidermin of Staphylococcus epidermidis, which is considered in the treatment of acne. Lantibiotics are ribosomally synthesized as prepeptides, which are posttranslationally modified. Genes probably encoding these biosynthetic enzymes and regulatory factors have been identified adjacent to the structural genes of the lantibiotics subtilin, nisin, and epidermin.