Nisin is a polycyclic antibiotic peptide with 34 amino acid residues. It contains the uncommon amino acids lanthionine, methyllanthionine, dehydroalanine and dehydro-amino-butyric acid. These special amino acids are synthesized by posttranslational enzymatic modifications. In theses reactions a ribosomally synthesized 57-mer is converted to the final peptide. The unsaturated amino acids origin from serine and threonine.
Nisin is produced by the bacterium Streptococcus lactis and is found in milk. It is used in cheese production to supress pathogenic gram-positive bacteria. There are some other applications of this antibiotic in food production. Subtilin and Epidermin are related to Nisin.
Further reading
- K. Fukase et. al., Tetrahedron Lett. 1988, 29, 7, 795. (total synthesis)
- G. W. Buchman et. al., J. Biol. Chem. 1988, 263, 31, 16260. (bio synthesis)
