Project Details
Projekt
New bacterial sources for antimicrobially active compounds
Applicant
Professorin Dr. Gabriele M. König
Subject Area
Parasitology and Biology of Tropical Infectious Disease Pathogens
Term
from 2008 to 2015
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 33421847
The focus of this project is on myxobacteria as a source of new antibiotics. The myxobacterial metabolite corallopyronin A was shown to be a potent antibacterial molecule with in vivo activity towards the endosymbiotic Wolbachia of filaria in the mouse model, with its activity being as strong as that of the established antibiotic doxycycline. A trans-AT type mixed PKS/NRPS gene cluster containing a β-branching cassette was identified as the putative basis for corallopyronin A biosynthesis. For the next funding period it is planned to establish a heterologous expression system for the corallopyronin A gene cluster in order to have a reliable supply of compound, and as a basis for structural modifications of the molecule. Modeling studies and biological evaluation of derivatives shall lead to a clear determination of the pharmacophor of this antibiotic. Our research also resulted in the cultivation of several most unusual marine myxobacteria which produce antibiotically active molecules. In the next funding period these natural products will be analysed in detail, with the aim to introduce new structural skeletons into antibiotic research and therapy.
DFG Programme
Research Units
