title: Identification of a novel two-peptide lantibiotic, haloduracin, produced by the alkaliphile Bacillus halodurans C-125.
abstract: Complete genome sequencing of the alkaliphilic bacterium Bacillus halodurans C-125 revealed the presence of several genes homologous to those involved in the production of lantibiotic peptides. Additional bioinformatic analysis identified a total of eleven genes, spanning a 15 kbp region, potentially involved in the production, modification, immunity and transport of a two-peptide lantibiotic. Having established that strain C-125 exhibited antimicrobial activity against a wide range of Gram-positive bacteria, it was demonstrated through peptide purification, MS and site-directed mutagenesis that this activity was indeed attributable to the production of a lantibiotic encoded by these genes. This antimicrobial has been designated haloduracin and represents the first occasion wherein production of two-peptide lantibiotic has been associated with a Bacillus sp. It is also the first example of a lantibiotic of any kind to be produced by an alkaliphilic species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Elaine M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Lawton
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Cotter
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: R Paul
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Ross
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000898:Antibiosis; D001407:Bacillus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001430:Bacteriocins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019295:Computational Biology; D023061:Gene Order; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D010455:Peptides / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001430:Bacteriocins; D010455:Peptides; C515824:haloduracin, Bacillus halodurans