Total Synthesis of Glycinocins A–C

The glycinocins are a class of calcium-dependent, acidic cyclolipopeptide antibiotics structurally related to the clinically approved daptomycin. Herein, we describe a divergent total synthesis of glycinocins A–C, which differ in the structure of a branched α,β-unsaturated fatty acyl moiety. The three natural products exhibited calcium-dependent antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis with MICs ranging from 5.5 to 17 μM

Total Synthesis of Teixobactin

The first total synthesis of the cyclic depsipeptide natural product teixobactin is described. Synthesis was achieved by solid-phase peptide synthesis, incorporating the unusual l-<i>allo</i>-enduracididine as a suitably protected synthetic cassette and employing a key on-resin esterification and solution-phase macrolactamization. The synthetic natural product was shown to possess potent antibacterial activity against a range of Gram-positive pathogenic bacteria, including a virulent strain of <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> and methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA)

Marine Mammal Microbiota Yields Novel Antibiotic with Potent Activity Against <i>Clostridium difficile</i>

The recent explosion of research on the microbiota has highlighted the important interplay between commensal microorganisms and the health of their cognate hosts. Metabolites isolated from commensal bacteria have been demonstrated to possess a range of antimicrobial activities, and it is widely believed that some of these metabolites modulate host behavior, affecting predisposition to disease and pathogen invasion. Our access to the local marine mammal stranding network and previous successes in mining the fish microbiota poised us to test the hypothesis that the marine mammal microbiota is a novel source of commensal bacteria-produced bioactive metabolites. Examination of intestinal contents from five marine mammals led to the identification of a <i>Micromonospora</i> strain with potent and selective activity against a panel of Gram-positive pathogens and no discernible human cytotoxicity. Compound isolation afforded a new complex glycosylated polyketide, phocoenamicin, with potent activity against the intestinal pathogen <i>Clostridium difficile</i>, an organism challenging to treat in hospital settings. Use of our activity-profiling platform, BioMAP, clustered this metabolite with other known ionophore antibiotics. Fluorescence imaging and flow cytometry confirmed that phocoenamicin is capable of shifting membrane potential without damaging membrane integrity. Thus, exploration of gut microbiota in hosts from diverse environments can serve as a powerful strategy for the discovery of novel antibiotics against human pathogens