Fig. 4: Malacidin mode of action. | Nature Microbiology

Fig. 4: Malacidin mode of action.

From: Culture-independent discovery of the malacidins as calcium-dependent antibiotics with activity against multidrug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens

Fig. 4

a, Schematic diagram showing modes of action of daptomycin, friulimicin and malacidin. b, In contrast to daptomycin, malacidin A does not cause MRSA membrane leakage in a SYTOX green fluorescent assay. The error bars represent the standard deviation across three biological replicates (n = 3). c, As seen with the cell wall biosynthesis inhibitor vancomycin, exposing MRSA to malacidin A results in the accumulation of the cell wall intermediate UDP-MurNAc-pentapeptide. The UDP-MurNAc-pentapeptide peak ([M–H]– = 1148.35) is indicated with a red asterisk on the UPLC-MS trace. The chromatograms are representative of at least three independent experiments. d, Interaction of malacidin A and daptomycin with purified cell wall precursors. An interaction is indicated by a reduction of the amount of free antibiotic (visible on the TLC by ultraviolet light). e, The interaction of malacidin A with cell wall precursor, lipid II, is calcium-dependent. Both TLCs in d and e are representative of at least two replicate experiments.

Back to article page