Lantibiotic resistance in the human pathogen Streptococcus agalactiae

Microbiology Seminar Series

  • Date: May 8, 2017
  • Time: 01:15 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Dr. Sander Smits
  • Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, NRW Research School Biostruct
  • Location: MPI for Terrestrial Microbiology
  • Room: Lecture hall
  • Host: Prof. Dr. E. Bremer
  • Contact: bremer@staff.uni-marburg.de

Lantibiotics are antmicrobial peptides, which display multiple modes of action to effectively kill Gram-positive bacteria. Full exploitation, however is hampered due to the natural occurrence of resistance in human pathogenic strains. We focused on the lantibiotic nisin and the resistance occurring in Streptococcus agalactiae, which is mediated by the expression of a membrane associated nisin specific protease SaNSR and the BceAB type lantibiotic resistance ABC transporter SaNsrFP which appears to have at least two different mechanisms inhibiting nisin incuded pore formation in the membrane as well as playing a crucial role in nisin sensing and subsequent upregulation of SaNSR expression.

Here, I will highlight our recent advances in elucidating resistance against lantibiotics in human pathogens using a combination of in vivo and in vitro as well as structural techniques.


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