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Two different lantibiotic-like peptides originate from the ericin gene cluster of Bacillus subtilis A1/3.

A lantibiotic gene cluster was identified in Bacillus subtilis A1/3 showing a high degree of homology to the subtilin gene cluster and occupying the same genetic locus as the spa genes in B. subtilis ATCC 6633. The gene cluster exhibits diversity with respect to duplication of two subtilin-like genes which are separated by a sequence similar to a portion of a lanC gene. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analyses of B. subtilis A1/3 culture extracts confirmed the presence of two lantibiotic-like peptides, ericin S (3,442 Da) and ericin A (2,986 Da). Disruption of the lanB-homologous gene eriB resulted in loss of production of both peptides, demonstrating that they are processed in an eriB-dependent manner. Although precursors of ericins S and A show only 75% of identity, the matured lantibiotic-like peptides reveal highly similar physical properties; separation was only achieved after multistep, reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Based on Edman and peptidase degradation in combination with MALDI-TOF MS, for ericin S a subtilin-like, lanthionine-bridging pattern is supposed. For ericin A two C-terminal rings are different from the lanthionine pattern of subtilin. Due to only four amino acid exchanges, ericin S and subtilin revealed similar antibiotic activities as well as similar properties in response to heat and protease treatment. For ericin A only minor antibiotic activity was found.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Immunity to lantibiotics.

Bacteria producing bacteriocins have to be protected from being killed by themselves. This mechanism of self-protection or immunity is especially important if the bacteriocin does not need a specific receptor for its action, as is the case for the type A lantibiotics forming pores in the cytoplasmic membrane. At least two different systems of immunity have evolved in this group of bacteriocins containing modified amino acids as a result of posttranslational modification. The immunity mechanism of Pep5 in Staphylococcus epidermidis is based on inhibition of pore formation by a small 69-amino acid protein weakly associated with the outer surface of the cytoplasmic membrane. In Lactococcus lactis and Bacillus subtilis the putative immunity lipoproteins NisI and SpaI, respectively, are also located at the outer surface of the cytoplasmic membrane, suggesting that a similar mechanism might be utilized by the producers of nisin and subtilin. In addition an ABC-transport system consisting of two membrane proteins, (NisEG, SpaG and the hydrophobic domain of SpaF, and EpiEG) and a cytoplasmic protein (NisF, the cytoplasmic domain of SpaF, and EpiF) play a role in immunity of nisin, subtilin and epidermin by import, export or inhibition of pore formation by the membrane components of the transport systems. Almost nothing is known of the immunity determinants of newly described and other type of lantibiotics.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗

Comparison of lantibiotic gene clusters and encoded proteins.

Lantibiotics form a group of modified peptides with unique structures, containing post-translationally modified amino acids such as dehydrated and lanthionine residues. In the gram-positive bacteria that secrete these lantibiotics, the gene clusters flanking the structural genes for various linear (type A) lantibiotics have recently been characterized. The best studied representatives are those of nisin (nis), subtilin (spa), epidermin (epi), Pep5 (pep), cytolysin (cyl), lactocin S (las) and lacticin 481 (lct). Comparison of the lantibiotic gene clusters shows that they contain conserved genes that probably encode similar functions. The nis, spa, epi and pep clusters contain lanB and lanC genes that are presumed to code for two types of enzymes that have been implicated in the modification reactions characteristic of all lantibiotics, i.e. dehydration and thio-ether ring formation. The cyl, las and lct gene clusters have no homologue of the lanB gene, but they do contain a much larger lanM gene that is the lanC gene homologue. Most lantibiotic gene clusters contain a lanP gene encoding a serine protease that is presumably involved in the proteolytic processing of the prelantibiotics. All clusters contain a lanT gene encoding an ABC transporter likely to be involved in the export of (precursors of) the lantibiotics. The lanE, lanF and lanG genes in the nis, spa and epi clusters encode another transport system that is possibly involved in self-protection. In the nisin and subtilin gene clusters two tandem genes, lanR and lanK, have been located that code for a two-component regulatory system. Finally, non-homologous genes are found in some lantibiotic gene clusters. The nisI and spaI genes encode lipoproteins that are involved in immunity, the pepI gene encodes a membrane-located immunity protein, and epiD encodes an enzyme involved in a post-translational modification found only in the C-terminus of epidermin. Several genes of unknown function are also found in the las gene cluster. A database has been assembled for all putative gene products of type A lantibiotic gene clusters. Database searches, multiple sequence alignment and secondary structure prediction have been used to identify conserved sequence segments in the LanB, LanC, LanE, LanF, LanG, LanK, LanM, LanP, LanR and LanT gene products that may be essential for structure and function. This database allows for a rapid screening of newly determined sequences in lantibiotic gene clusters.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗

[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.

Amino Acid Sequence↗