Nisin-lipid 11 complex

Hsu, S.T.D., Breukink, E., Tischenko, E.,et al. (2004). The nisin-lipid 11 complex reveals a pyrophosphate cage that provides a blueprint for novel antibiotics. Nat Struct Mol Biol 11,963-967. 

Figure 2 Mode of action of the prototypical lantibiotic nisin. (a) The peptidoglycan precursor lipid II is composed of an N-acetylglucosamine-p-1,4-N-acetylmuramic acid disaccharide (GIcNAc-MurNAc) that is attached to a membrane anchor of 11 isoprene units via a pyrophosphate moiety. A pentapeptide is linked to the muramic acid. Transglycosylase and transpeptidase enzymes polymerize multiple lipid II molecules and crosslink their pentapeptide groups, respectively, to generate the peptidoglycan. (b) The NMR solution structure of the 1 1 complex of nisin and a lipid II derivative in DMSO (6). (c) The amino-terminus of nisin binds the pyrophosphate of lipid II, whereas the carboxy-terminus inserts into the bacterial membrane. Four lipid II and eight nisin molecules compose a stable pore, although the arrangement of the molecules within each pore is unknown (5).

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