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Lantibiotics are peptide antibiotics containing uncommon amino acids like the lanthionine, methyllanthionine, 2-aminoisobutyric acid, and unsaturated amino acids such as dehydroalanine - hence they are polycyclic. The name derives from 'Lanthionine-containing antibiotics'. Many or all are made by Gram positive bacteria to attack other gram positive bacteria, hence they are bacteriocins. Lantibiotics show substantial specificity for some components (eg lipid II) of bacterial cell membranes especially of Gram positive bacteria. They are active in very low concentrations. Type A Lantibiotics are long flexible molecules - eg Nisin, subtilin, epidermin. Subgroup AI includes Mutacin II, subgroup AII includes Mutacin I & III. Type B Lantibiotics are globular - eg mersacidin, actagardin, cinnamycin. See Brotz and Sahl. JAC (2000) 46, 1-6 for discussion of mechanism of action. (Type A kill rapidly by pore formation, type B inhibit peptidoglycan biosynthesis)
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