An unexpected inhibitory effect of rapamycin against germination of spores of Bacillus brevis strain Nagano.
Rapamycin is used in medicine as an immunosuppressive agent (Sirolimus; Rapamune) although discovered as an antifungal agent. It is thought not to have antibacterial activity. Surprisingly, we found that rapamycin inhibits the germination of Bacillus brevis Nagano spores, but is inactive against Bacillus brevis Nagano vegetative cells. Surprisingly rapamycin did not show antimicrobial activity against other Bacillus strains, including other gramicidin S-producing Bacillus brevis strains such as ATCC 9999 and BI-7, whether tested as spores or vegetative cells.
Kim
Wan-Seop
WS
Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139, USA.
Xu
Lang
L
Souw
Daniel
D
Fang
Aiqi
A
Demain
Arnold L
AL
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001407:Bacillus / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D020123:Sirolimus