title: Biosynthesis of the lantibiotic mersacidin: organization of a type B lantibiotic gene cluster.
abstract: The biosynthetic gene cluster (12.3 kb) of mersacidin, a lanthionine-containing antimicrobial peptide, is located on the chromosome of the producer, Bacillus sp. strain HIL Y-85,54728 in a region that corresponds to 348 degrees on the chromosome of Bacillus subtilis 168. It consists of 10 open reading frames and contains, in addition to the previously described mersacidin structural gene mrsA (G. Bierbaum, H. Brötz, K.-P. Koller, and H.-G. Sahl, FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 127:121-126, 1995), two genes, mrsM and mrsD, coding for enzymes involved in posttranslational modification of the prepeptide; one gene, mrsT, coding for a transporter with an associated protease domain; and three genes, mrsF, mrsG, and mrsE, encoding a group B ABC transporter that could be involved in producer self-protection. Additionally, three regulatory genes are part of the gene cluster, i.e., mrsR2 and mrsK2, which encode a two-component regulatory system which seems to be necessary for the transcription of the mrsFGE operon, and mrsR1, which encodes a protein with similarity to response regulators. Transcription of mrsA sets in at early stationary phase (between 8 and 16 h of culture).
authors.affiliation: Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Immunologie der Universität Bonn, D-53105 Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Altena
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guder
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cramer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bierbaum
mesh_terms: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000235:genetics; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001407:Bacillus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D001430:Bacteriocins; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005809:Genes, Regulator; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D010455:Peptides; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001430:Bacteriocins; D010455:Peptides; C069959:mersacidin