Many bacteria create compounds to gain an edge over their competitors in the fiercely competitive natural world. Scientists have uncovered a new type of lantibiotic, known as epilancin A37. It is generated by staphylococci that inhabit the skin and targets specifically their main rivals, the corynebacteria. This specificity is likely facilitated by a unique mechanism of action, which the researchers were able to comprehensively understand.
Many bacteria produce substances to gain an advantage over competitors in their highly competitive natural environment. Researchers at the Univers rnrnThe University Hospital Bonn (UKB), the University of Bonn and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) have found a new lantibiotic called epilancin A37. This lantibiotic is produced by staphylococci that live on the skin and specifically targets their main competitors, corynebacteria. The researchers believe that this specificity is due to a unique mechanism of action, which they have thoroughly studied and published in the ISME Journal. This discovery is important due to the increasing antibiotic resistance in pathogens causing infections.Importance of antibiotics resistance is highlighted. The focus is now on lantibiotics, a new class of antimicrobial peptides produced by gram-positive bacteria. Lantibiotics have a narrow spectrum of activity, making them potentially beneficial in specifically targeting certain groups of organisms without affecting the entire bacterial flora like broad-spectrum antibiotics. This was stated by Dr. Fabian Grein, who was the head of the DZIF research group “Bacterial Interference” at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Microbiology at the UKB.
The research team at the University of Bonn’s Translational Research Area (TRA) “Life & Health” has attained a significant competitive advantage over corynebacteria.
Fabian Grein and Tanja Schneider, leading the UKB research team, along with Ulrich Kubitscheck’s team, have uncovered a new lantibiotic called epilancin A37. This lantibiotic is produced by staphylococci, which are common inhabitants of the skin and mucous membranes. Despite the lack of information about these antimicrobial peptides, the researchers were able to demonstrate that epilancins are prevalent in staphylococci, underscoring their ecological significance.
“Staphylococci and corynebacteria are crucial genera of the human microbiota found in the nose and skin,” explains Jan-Samuel Puls, a doctoral student at the University of Bonn’s Institute of Pharmaceutical Microbiology at the UKB. These microorganisms play a significant role in health and disease. The discovery of epilancin A37 indicates a strong competition between these species. The researchers found that this compound specifically targets corynebacteria, which are major competitors of staphylococci.
The skin microbiome is controlled by cci.
Deciphering a new way of fighting bacteria
“This specificity is likely due to a unique mode of action that we were able to thoroughly understand,” says Grein. Epilancin A37 enters the corynebacterial cell without initially destroying it. The antimicrobial peptides build up in the cell and then break down the cell membrane from the inside, ultimately killing the corynebacterium. Co-author Dr. Thomas Fließwasser from the Institute of Pharmaceutical Microbiology at the UKB, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bonn and acting head of the DZIF research
The research group “Bacterial Interference” stated, “Our study demonstrates how a specific method can be used to target a single bacterial species. This serves as a ‘proof of concept’.”
Journal Reference:
- Jan-Samuel Puls, Benjamin Winnerling, Jeffrey J Power, Annika M Krüger, Dominik Brajtenbach, Matthew Johnson, Kevser Bilici, Laura Camus, Thomas Fließwasser, Tanja Schneider, Hans-Georg Sahl, Debnath Ghosal, Ulrich Kubitscheck, Simon Heilbronner, Fabian Grein. Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteriocin A37 kills natural competitors with a unique mechanism.The ISME Journal, in its 2024 issue, delved into the topic of action. The reference for this article is 18 (1) DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae044.