Lantibiotics are a subgroup of bacteriocins that are characterized by the p
resence of the unusual thioether amino acids lanthionine and 3-methyllanthi
onine generated through posttranslational modification. The biosynthesis of
lantibiotics follows a defined pathway comprising modifications of the pre
peptide, proteolytic activation,and export. The genes encoding the biosynth
esis apparatus and the lantibiotic prepeptide ar organized in clusters, whi
ch also include information for proteins involved in regulation and produce
r self-protection. The elongated cationic lantibiotics primarily act throug
h the formation of pores and recent progress with nisin and epidermin has s
hown that specific docking molecules such as lipid II play an essential rol
e in this mechanism. Mersacidin and actagardine inhibit cell wall biosynthe
sis by complexing the precursor lipid II, whereas the cinnamycin-like pepti
des bind to phosphoethanolamine thus inhibiting phospholipase A2. (C) 2000
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.