title: Bacillus subtilis antibiotics: structures, syntheses and specific functions.
abstract: The endospore-forming rhizobacterium Bacillus subtilis- the model system for Gram-positive organisms, is able to produce more than two dozen antibiotics with an amazing variety of structures. The produced anti-microbial active compounds include predominantly peptides that are either ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified (lantibiotics and lantibiotic-like peptides) or non-ribosomally generated, as well as a couple of non-peptidic compounds such as polyketides, an aminosugar, and a phospholipid. Here I summarize the structures of all known B. subtilis antibiotics, their biochemistry and genetic analysis of their biosyntheses. An updated summary of well-studied antibiotic regulation pathways is given. Furthermore, current findings are resumed that show roles for distinct B. subtilis antibiotics beyond the "pure" anti-microbial action: Non-ribosomally produced lipopeptides are involved in biofilm and swarming development, lantibiotics function as pheromones in quorum-sensing, and a "killing factor" effectuates programmed cell death in sister cells. A discussion of how these antibiotics may contribute to the survival of B. subtilis in its natural environment is given.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Mikrobiologie, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Marie-Curie-Strasse 9, 60439 Frankfurt/Main, Germany. T.Stein@em.uni-frankfurt.de
authors.forename: Torsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stein
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001430:Bacteriocins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010455:Peptides; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001430:Bacteriocins; D010455:Peptides