Lacticin 481: an antimicrobial peptide of the lantibiotic family produced by Lactococcus lactis.
Résumé
Lacticin 481 is an antimicrobial peptide secreted by some strains of the lactic acid bacterium Lactococcus lactis. This peptide contains two lanthionines, one 3-methyllanthionine and one 2,3-didehydrobutyrine. Such unusual residues are specifically found in lantibiotics and are created by enzymatic modification of some amino acids included into a precursor peptide. The latter is encoded by a structural gene. Several groups of lantibiotics have been distinguished and lacticin 481 is representative the so-called lacticin 481 group. Here, we present an overview of the data accumulated on lacticin 481, including its properties and spectrum of action, its genetic determinants, its maturation pathway, the immunity system protecting the producer strains from their own lantibiotic, and potential applications.