title: Solution structure of plantaricin C, a novel lantibiotic.
abstract: Plantaricin C, a bacteriocin produced by a Lactobacillus plantarum strain of dairy origin, is a lantibiotic. One dehydroalanine, one lanthionine and three beta-methyl-lanthionine residues were found in its 27 amino acid sequence. The plantaricin C structure has two parts: the first comprises the six NH2-terminal residues, four of which are lysines, which confer a strong positive charge to this stretch. The amino acids in positions 7 and 27 form the lanthionine bridge, giving a globular conformation to the rest of the molecule. The beta-methyl-lanthionine bridges are established between residues 12-15, 13-18 and 23-26. This central region has a charge distribution compatible with an amphipathic alpha-helix, through which plantaricin C would become inserted into the membrane matrix of sensitive organisms, provoking the opening of pores and leakage of the cytoplasmic content.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Southampton, UK. dlt@soton.ac.uk
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lohaus
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Siethoff
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Suárez
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D001430:Bacteriocins / Q000737:chemistry*; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000737:chemistry; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008958:Models, Molecular; D010455:Peptides; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012996:Solutions; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D055672:Static Electricity
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001430:Bacteriocins; D010455:Peptides; D012996:Solutions; C089260:plantaricin C