Marine Mammal Microbiota Yields Novel Antibiotic with Potent Activity Against Clostridium difficile.

ABSTRACT: The recent explosion of research on the microbiota has highlighted the important interplay between commensal microorganisms and the health of their cognate hosts. Metabolites isolated from commensal bacteria have been demonstrated to possess a range of antimicrobial activities, and it is widely believed that some of these metabolites modulate host behavior, affecting predisposition to disease and pathogen invasion. Our access to the local marine mammal stranding network and previous successes in mining the fish microbiota poised us to test the hypothesis that the marine mammal microbiota is a novel source of commensal bacteria-produced bioactive metabolites. Examination of intestinal contents from five marine mammals led to the identification of a Micromonospora strain with potent and sele

SUBMITTER: Ochoa JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6530793 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature