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Teixobactin
Teixobactin () is a peptide-like secondary metabolite of some species of bacteria, that kills some gram-positive bacteria. It appears to belong to a new class of antibiotics, and harms bacteria by binding to lipid II and lipid III, important precursor molecules for forming the cell wall. Teixobactin was discovered using a new method of culturing bacteria in soil, which allowed researchers to grow a previously unculturable bacterium now named '' Eleftheria terrae'', which produces the antibiotic. Teixobactin was shown to kill ''Staphylococcus aureus'' and '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis''. History In January 2015, a collaboration of four institutes in the US and Germany together with two pharmaceutical companies, reported that they had isolated and characterized a new antibiotic, killing "without detectable resistance." Teixobactin was discovered by screening previously unculturable bacteria present in a sample of soil from "a grassy field in Maine," using the isolation chip ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eleftheria Terrae
''Eleftheria terrae'' is a recently discovered Gram-negative bacterium. ''E. terrae'' is a temporary name for the organism, as it was only discovered in 2014 and is still undergoing scientific study. It was found to produce a previously unknown antibiotic named teixobactin. The discovery of ''E. terrae'' could represent a new age of antibiotics, as teixobactin is the first new antibiotic discovered since the synthetic era of the 1980s. Prior research has indicated that other uncultivable bacteria like ''E. terrae'' have potential in the development of new antimicrobial agents. Discovery As of 2015, an estimated 99% of bacterial species are uncultured and require advanced means, such as the iChip, to be isolated. ''E. terrae'' is one such bacterium affectionately named by scientists "microbial dark matter" cultivated by emerging scientific methods. A team from Novobiotic Pharmaceuticals led by L. Ling discovered ''Eleftheria terrae'' in the fall of 2014 in a field in Maine us ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
NovoBiotic Pharmaceuticals
NovoBiotic Pharmaceuticals is a privately held, early-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of new drugs from natural sources. Early history and focus The company was founded in 2003 in Cambridge, MA (USA), by Northeastern University professors Kim Lewis and Slava Epstein. Lewis is the director of Northeastern’s Antimicrobial Discovery Center, while Epstein is on the faculty of the Department of Biology. Both Lewis and Epstein are paid consultants to this company. The focus of the company is on the discovery of new antibiotics and oncology drugs. Research and drug development The founders had led the development of new techniques to search for useful molecules produced by the untapped vast majority of soil and marine bacteria that cannot be initially cultured in the laboratory. They developed diffusion chambers ( isolation chips) to be embedded in natural settings to grow "uncultivable" microorganisms ''in situ'', so that they could then be extra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Antibiotic Classes
The following is a list of antibiotics. The highest division between antibiotics is bactericidal and bacteriostatic. Bactericidals kill bacteria directly, whereas bacteriostatics prevent them from dividing. However, these classifications are based on laboratory behavior.The development of antibiotics has had a profound effect on health in people for many years. Also, for both people and animals have used antibiotics to treat infections and diseases. In practice, both treat a bacterial infection. By coverage The following are lists of antibiotics for specific microbial coverage. MRSA Antibiotics that cover methicillin-resistant ''Staphylococcus aureus'' (MRSA): * Vancomycin * Teicoplanin * Linezolid * Daptomycin * Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole * Doxycycline * Ceftobiprole (5th generation) * Ceftaroline (5th generation) * Clindamycin * Dalbavancin * Fusidic acid * Mupirocin (topical) * Omadacycline * Oritavancin * Tedizolid * Telavancin * Tigecycline (also covers gram negatives) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lipid II
Lipid II is a precursor molecule in the synthesis of the cell wall of bacteria. It is a peptidoglycan, which is amphipathic and named for its bactoprenol hydrocarbon chain, which acts as a lipid anchor, embedding itself in the bacterial cell membrane. Lipid II must translocate across the cell membrane to deliver and incorporate its disaccharide-pentapeptide "building block" into the peptidoglycan mesh. Lipid II is the target of several antibiotics. A number of analogous compounds are produced via a similar pathway in some bacteria, giving rise to cell wall modifications. See EC 2.4.1.227 for more information. Synthesis In peptidoglycan biosynthetic pathway Lipid II is the final intermediate in peptidoglycan synthesis. It is formed when the MurG transferase catalyzes addition of ''N''-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) to Lipid I, resulting in a complete disaccharide-pentapeptide monomer with a bactoprenol-pyrophosphate anchor. This occurs on the inside of the cytoplasmic membrane ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetases
Nonribosomal peptides (NRP) are a class of peptide secondary metabolites, usually produced by microorganisms like bacteria and fungi. Nonribosomal peptides are also found in higher organisms, such as nudibranchs, but are thought to be made by bacteria inside these organisms. While there exist a wide range of peptides that are not synthesized by ribosomes, the term ''nonribosomal peptide'' typically refers to a very specific set of these as discussed in this article. Nonribosomal peptides are synthesized by nonribosomal peptide synthetases, which, unlike the ribosomes, are independent of messenger RNA. Each nonribosomal peptide synthetase can synthesize only one type of peptide. Nonribosomal peptides often have cyclic and/or branched structures, can contain non-proteinogenic amino acids including D-amino acids, carry modifications like '' N''-methyl and ''N''-formyl groups, or are glycosylated, acylated, halogenated, or hydroxylated. Cyclization of amino acids against the peptide ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Depsipeptide
A depsipeptide is a peptide in which one or more of its amide, -C(O)NHR-, groups are replaced by the corresponding ester, -C(O)OR, Many depsipeptides have both peptide and ester linkages. Elimination of the N–H group in a peptide structure results in a decrease of H-bonding capability, which is responsible for secondary structure and folding patterns of peptides, thus inducing structural deformation of the helix and b-sheet structures. Because of decreased resonance delocalization in esters relative to amides, depsipeptides have lower rotational barriers for cis-trans isomerization and therefore they have more flexible structures than their native analogs. They are mainly found in marine and microbial natural products. Depsipeptide natural products 222px, Enterochelin is a depsipeptide that is an iron-transporter. Several depsipeptides have been found to exhibit anti-cancer properties. A depsipeptide enzyme inhibitor includes romidepsin, a member of the bicyclic peptide class, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and Greater London to the south and south-west. There are three cities in Essex: Southend, Colchester and Chelmsford, in order of population. For the purposes of government statistics, Essex is placed in the East of England region. There are four definitions of the extent of Essex, the widest being the ancient county. Next, the largest is the former postal county, followed by the ceremonial county, with the smallest being the administrative county—the area administered by the County Council, which excludes the two unitary authorities of Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea. The ceremonial county occupies the eastern part of what was, during the Early Middle Ages, the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Essex. As well as rural areas and urban areas, it forms ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amino Acid
Amino acids are organic compounds that contain both amino and carboxylic acid functional groups. Although hundreds of amino acids exist in nature, by far the most important are the alpha-amino acids, which comprise proteins. Only 22 alpha amino acids appear in the genetic code. Amino acids can be classified according to the locations of the core structural functional groups, as Alpha and beta carbon, alpha- , beta- , gamma- or delta- amino acids; other categories relate to Chemical polarity, polarity, ionization, and side chain group type (aliphatic, Open-chain compound, acyclic, aromatic, containing hydroxyl or sulfur, etc.). In the form of proteins, amino acid ''residues'' form the second-largest component ( water being the largest) of human muscles and other tissues. Beyond their role as residues in proteins, amino acids participate in a number of processes such as neurotransmitter transport and biosynthesis. It is thought that they played a key role in enabling li ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Protein
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, responding to stimuli, providing structure to cells and organisms, and transporting molecules from one location to another. Proteins differ from one another primarily in their sequence of amino acids, which is dictated by the nucleotide sequence of their genes, and which usually results in protein folding into a specific 3D structure that determines its activity. A linear chain of amino acid residues is called a polypeptide. A protein contains at least one long polypeptide. Short polypeptides, containing less than 20–30 residues, are rarely considered to be proteins and are commonly called peptides. The individual amino acid residues are bonded together by peptide bonds and adjacent amino acid residues. The sequence of amino acid resid ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Macrocyclic
Macrocycles are often described as molecules and ions containing a ring of twelve or more atoms. Classical examples include the crown ethers, calixarenes, porphyrins, and cyclodextrins. Macrocycles describe a large, mature area of chemistry. Synthesis The formation of macrocycles by ring-closure is called macrocylization. Pioneering work was reported for studies on terpenoid macrocycles. The central challenge to macrocyclization is that ring-closing reactions do not favor the formation of large rings. Instead, small rings or polymers tend to form. This kinetic problem can be addressed by using high-dilution reactions, whereby intramolecular processes are favored relative to polymerizations. Some macrocyclizations are favored using template reactions. Templates are ions, molecules, surfaces etc. that bind and pre-organize compounds, guiding them toward formation of a particular ring size. The crown ethers are often generated in the presence of an alkali metal cation, wh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Antibiotics
An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention of such infections. They may either kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria. A limited number of antibiotics also possess antiprotozoal activity. Antibiotics are not effective against viruses such as the common cold or influenza; drugs which inhibit viruses are termed antiviral drugs or antivirals rather than antibiotics. Sometimes, the term ''antibiotic''—literally "opposing life", from the Greek roots ἀντι ''anti'', "against" and βίος ''bios'', "life"—is broadly used to refer to any substance used against microbes, but in the usual medical usage, antibiotics (such as penicillin) are those produced naturally (by one microorganism fighting another), whereas non-antibiotic antibacterials (such as sulfonamides and antise ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
