Mycosubtilin is a natural
lipopeptide with antifungal and hemolytic activities and isolated from ''
Bacillus
''Bacillus'', from Latin "bacillus", meaning "little staff, wand", is a genus of Gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria, a member of the phylum ''Bacillota'', with 266 named species. The term is also used to describe the shape (rod) of other so-sh ...
'' species. It belongs to the
iturin lipopeptide family.
Definition
Mycosubtilin is a natural lipopeptide. It is produced by the strains of
''Bacillus'' spp mainly by ''
Bacillus subtilis
''Bacillus subtilis'' (), known also as the hay bacillus or grass bacillus, is a gram-positive, catalase-positive bacterium, found in soil and the gastrointestinal tract of ruminants, humans and marine sponges. As a member of the genus ''Bacill ...
''. It was discovered due to its antifungal activities. It belongs to the family of iturin lipopeptides
Structure
Mycosubtilin is a heptapeptide, cyclized in a ring with a β-amino fatty acid. The peptide sequence is composed of
L-Asn-
D-Tyr-
D-Asn-
L-Gln-
L-Pro-
D-Ser-
L-Asn.
Biological activities
Mycosubtilin has strong antifungal and hemolytic activities. It is active against fungi and yeasts such as ''
Candida albicans'', ''
Candida tropicalis'', ''
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
''Saccharomyces cerevisiae'' () (brewer's yeast or baker's yeast) is a species of yeast (single-celled fungal microorganisms). The species has been instrumental in winemaking, baking, and brewing since ancient times. It is believed to have be ...
'', ''
Penicillium notatum'', and ''
Fusarium oxysporum''.
Its antibacterial activity is quite limited to bacteria such as ''
Micrococcus luteus''.
[Besson F., Peypoux F. & Michel G., 1978b. ''Action of mycosubtilin and of bacillomycin L on Micrococcus luteus cells and protoplasts: influence of the polarity of the antibiotics upon their action on the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane''. FEBS Lett., 90, 36-40.]
See also
*
Surfactin
References
{{Reflist
Colloidal chemistry
Antibiotics
Lipopeptides
Non-ionic surfactants