title: Effect of leader peptide mutations on biosynthesis of the lantibiotic Pep5.
abstract: Lantibiotics are lanthionine-containing antibiotic peptides which are synthesized from ribosomal prepeptides by post-translational modification. In order to elucidate the function of a conserved motif in the N-terminal leader sequence of lantibiotic prepeptides, three amino acids were exchanged in the leader peptide sequence of the lantibiotic Pep5. Exchanging Phe-19 for Ser and Glu-16 for Lys in the FDLEI-motif, reduced Pep5 production to 35 and 38% of the control whereas, after exchanging Asp-6 for Ser and Glu-16 for Lys in the FDLEI-motif, reduced Pep5 production to 35 and 38% of the control whereas, after exchanging ASp-6 for Lys, the production was decreased only to 82%. Proteolytic fragments of Pep5 or incorrectly modified Pep5 molecules, indicative of incorrect modifications, were not found in the culture supernatant. Thus, in contrast to the biosynthesis of the lantibiotic nisin, the FDLEI-motif is not essential for biosynthesis of Pep5 and has no influence on correct ring formation or processing, but seems to be important for optimal biosynthesis rates.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Medizinische und Mikrobiologie und Immunologie der Universität Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Neis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bierbaum
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Josten
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Pag
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kempter
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Sahl
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001430:Bacteriocins; D001483:Base Sequence; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016296:Mutagenesis / Q000502:physiology; D010455:Peptides; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001430:Bacteriocins; D010455:Peptides; C054222:lantibiotic Pep5