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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.