Thirteen posttranslational modifications convert a 14-residue peptide into the antibiotic thiocillin.

ABSTRACT: The thiazolylpeptides are a family of >50 bactericidal antibiotics that block the initial steps of bacterial protein synthesis. Here, we report a biosynthetic gene cluster for thiocillin and establish that it, and by extension the whole class, is ribosomally synthesized. Remarkably, the C-terminal 14 residues of a 52-residue peptide precursor undergo 13 posttranslational modifications to give rise to thiocillin, making this antibiotic the most heavily posttranslationally-modified peptide known to date.

SUBMITTER: Wieland Brown LC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2650375 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature