Biosynthesis of Antibiotics


Book Description

Biosynthesis of Antibiotics, Volume I focuses on research conducted on the properties, compositions, and chemical reactions of antibiotics. Composed of contributions of authors, the book discusses the microbial processes for the preparation of radioactive antibiotics. Areas of discussions include an introduction; microbial methods used in the preparation of radioactive antibiotics; and the presence of radioactive antibiotics prepared through microbial processes. The volume also focuses on the biosynthesis of penicillin and cephalosporins. Areas of interest include biosynthesis of penicillins; penicillin acylases; and cephalosporin C biosynthesis. The text also provides information on the biosynthesis of tetracycline antibiotics, streptomycin, and macrolide antibiotics. Numerical representations and schematic diagrams are presented to show the properties, compositions, and chemical reactions of antibiotics when exposed to varying conditions. This volume is a great source of data for workers, graduate students, and faculties of biological sciences in the conduct of academic and industrial research.




Antibiotics


Book Description

Amazing medical breakthroughs are made every day. In the past decades, medical researchers have cured diseases that were once deadly and devised new methods to heal that were once unimaginable. This title follows the development of antibiotics, including premodern forerunners to antibiotics, groundbreaking discoveries and the doctors who made them, and where the science is heading in the future. Learn how antibiotics work and why scientists need to continually discover new drugs. Sidebars, full-color photos, a glossary, and well-placed graphs, charts, and maps, enhance this engaging title. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Essential Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.




Synthesis of β-Lactam Antibiotics


Book Description

Penicillins and cephalosporins have a long history in combating bacterial infections. Despite new infectious diseases and occurring resistance, beta-lactam antibiotics will for many years to come continue to play a prominent role in our therapeutic arsenal. This book covers the industrial development of the chemical and biochemical processes used to manufacture these products, as well as looking ahead to possible future processes. The interplay between synthetic organic chemistry with the understanding and application of enzymes, modeling of fermentation processes and integration through (bio-) chemical process engineering is illustrated. In-depth scientific approaches to biocatalysis and biocatalyst development including enzyme kinetics, enzyme crystal studies and semi-rational enzyme mutations are also presented. Metabolic pathway analysis and modeling of fermentation process are treated as well as molecular precision in synthetic approaches to beta-lactams, their precursors and derivatives. Process technology studies including new reactor concepts, possible short-cut routes and improved down-stream-processing methods complete a broad view on the scope and limitations of the presently developed industrial processes including an intriguing insight into future process possibilities. This book represents an excellent case study on the transformation of traditional, stoïchiometric, organic synthesis and classical fermentations into modern (bio-) catalysis and biosynthesis based on insights in metabolic pathways and enzyme actions.




Antibiotics


Book Description

Antibiotics are among the most widely prescribed drugs in both human and veterinary medicine. Furthermore, they are used to protect plants against bacterial and fungal diseases, to decontaminate the shells of eggs, and to improve weight gain and feed conversion in a variety of food animals. Many antibiotics, in addition, have been esseptial tools in the elucidation of specific cellular functions. Genetic engineering, for example, would not be what it is today without the use of antibiotics in the selection of easily determined genetic markers. Production of antibiotics involves a diverse group of professionals: the fermentation technologist, the bioengineer, the extraction chemist. To im prove productivity, an understanding of the biosynthetic pathway and the mechanisms of its control is often useful. After the more than 40 years since the discovery of penicillin, the biol ogist is still unable to answer basic questions: Why are antibiotics produced by only a small number of microbial groups? What is the function of anti biotics in nature? When we started to teach our course on the science of antibiotics at the University of Pavia and the University of Milan, we realized that there was no book that presented the basic facts and concepts on all aspects of this diverse science. This book therefore arose out of our teaching need. Our experience in the discovery, development, and production of antibiotics has certainly imparted a practical nuance to this book.




Microbial Resources


Book Description

Microbial Resources: From Functional Existence in Nature to Applications provides an exciting interdisciplinary journey through the rapidly developing field of microbial resources, including relationships to aspects of microbiology. Covers the functional existence of microorganisms in nature, as well as the transfer of this knowledge for industrial and other applications. Examines the economic perspective of revealing the potential value of microbial material and figuring it into socio-economic value; legal perspectives; and how to organize a fair allotment of socio-economic benefits to all stakeholders who have effectively contributed to the preservation, study, and exploitation of microbiological material. - Covers aspects of foundational information related to microbiology, microbial ecology, and diversity, as well as new advances in microbial genomics - Provides information on the utilization of microbial resources in biotechnology - Covers legislative issues and related law in biodiscovery - Fills a need for a very broad audience and is a good resource for microbiologists seeking to know the extent of microbiology approaches, the policies associated with microbiology, and potential career paths for researchers - Has significant added value due to the inclusion of comprehensive coverage of the biology, ecology, biochemistry and international legislation surrounding these applications




Lasso Peptides


Book Description

Lasso peptides form a growing family of fascinating ribosomally-synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides produced by bacteria. They contain 15 to 24 residues and share a unique interlocked topology that involves an N-terminal 7 to 9-residue macrolactam ring where the C-terminal tail is threaded and irreversibly trapped. The ring results from the condensation of the N-terminal amino group with a side-chain carboxylate of a glutamate at position 8 or 9, or an aspartate at position 7, 8 or 9. The trapping of the tail involves bulky amino acids located in the tail below and above the ring and/or disulfide bridges connecting the ring and the tail. Lasso peptides are subdivided into three subtypes depending on the absence (class II) or presence of one (class III) or two (class I) disulfide bridges. The lasso topology results in highly compact structures that give to lasso peptides an extraordinary stability towards both protease degradation and denaturing conditions. Lasso peptides are generally receptor antagonists, enzyme inhibitors and/or antibacterial or antiviral (anti-HIV) agents. The lasso scaffold and the associated biological activities shown by lasso peptides on different key targets make them promising molecules with high therapeutic potential. Their application in drug design has been exemplified by the development of an integrin antagonist based on a lasso peptide scaffold. The biosynthesis machinery of lasso peptides is therefore of high biotechnological interest, especially since such highly compact and stable structures have to date revealed inaccessible by peptide synthesis. Lasso peptides are produced from a linear precursor LasA, which undergoes a maturation process involving several steps, in particular cleavage of the leader peptide and cyclization. The post-translational modifications are ensured by a dedicated enzymatic machinery, which is composed of an ATP-dependent cysteine protease (LasB) and a lactam synthetase (LasC) that form an enzymatic complex called lasso synthetase. Microcin J25, produced by Escherichia coli AY25, is the archetype of lasso peptides and the most extensively studied. To date only around forty lasso peptides have been isolated, but genome mining approaches have revealed that they are widely distributed among Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria, particularly in Streptomyces, making available a rich resource of novel lasso peptides and enzyme machineries towards lasso topologies.







Treating Infectious Diseases in a Microbial World


Book Description

Humans coexist with millions of harmless microorganisms, but emerging diseases, resistance to antibiotics, and the threat of bioterrorism are forcing scientists to look for new ways to confront the microbes that do pose a danger. This report identifies innovative approaches to the development of antimicrobial drugs and vaccines based on a greater understanding of how the human immune system interacts with both good and bad microbes. The report concludes that the development of a single superdrug to fight all infectious agents is unrealistic.




Perspectives in Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology


Book Description

Upon an invitation from Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States "ABEGS"; an International Conference on Biotechnology and Applied Microbiol ogy was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 12-15 November 1984. The Conference was sponsored by ABEGS and organized through coopera tion with Saudi Biological Society "SBS". ABEGS was established in 1976 with the aim of coordinating, unifying and developing all aspects of Education, Culture and Science in the Gulf States. In the field of publications, ABEGS is publishing various books, pamphlets and two scientific journals, one in Arabic and the other in English entitled: the Arab Gulf Journal of Scientific Research. This volume contains topics presented by the invited speakers and selected papers from among those submitted by participants. Selection was done on basis of some of the invited talks. Main topics of the conference were grouped into sections representing seven themes of Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology: - production of microbial proteins - utilization of microorganisms for the production of chemicals - microbial treatment and utilization of waste - continuous culture - application of biotechnology in plant science - applied microbiology and environment and - applied microbiology and biotechnology: international cooperation - tween developed and developing countries. Some of the topics in this volume present surveys of recent developments in several important areas of biotechnology and applied microbiology, while the remaining papers carry detailed research contributions.




Actinomycetes


Book Description

Beyond being the most important natural compound source, actinomycetes are the origin of up to two-thirds of all clinically used antibiotics. Currently, new antimicrobials are urgently needed, as infections caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens are on the rise. In the identification of new antibiotics, many scientists are currently investigating biosynthetic aspects of antibiotic production in actinomycetes. Since the emergence of next-generation sequencing technologies, the field of antibiotics research has experienced a remarkable revival. These bacteria have the potential to produce more antibiotics than previously thought possible. Some antibiotics are produced in standard media, while others require the presence of a specific signaling molecule in the medium. Others, however, are only produced when the native regulation of the biosynthesis gene cluster is overruled. This book covers topics in the field of antibiotic-producing actinomycetes. The following tops are addressed: - Approaches to access novel antibiotic producers for novel natural compounds - Omics and genome mining approaches for the discovery of novel natural compounds - Analyses and genetic engineering of antibiotic biosynthesis - Regulation of the secondary metabolism in actinomycetes