emerimicins and Hemolysis

Peptaibols and the related peptaibiotics are linear, amphipathic polypeptides. More than 300 of these secondary metabolites have been described to date. These compounds are composed of 5-20 amino acids and are generally produced in microheterogeneous mixtures. Peptaibols and peptaibiotics with unusual amino acid content are the result of non-ribosomal biosynthesis. Large multifunctional enzymes known as peptide synthetases assemble these molecules by the multiple carrier thiotemplate mechanism from a remarkable range of precursors, which can be N-methylated, acylated or reduced. Peptaibols and peptaibiotics show interesting physico-chemical and biological properties including the formation of pores in bilayer lipid membranes, as well as antibacterial, antifungal, occasionally antiviral activities, and may elicit plant resistance. The three-dimensional structure of peptaibols and peptaibiotics is characterized predominantly by one type of the helical motifs alpha-helix, 3(10)-helix and beta-bend ribbon spiral. The aim of this review is to summarize the data available about the biosynthesis, biological activity and conformational properties of peptaibols and peptaibiotics described from Trichoderma species.

Topics: Alamethicin; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Enzyme Activation; Fungal Proteins; Fungi; Gram-Positive Bacteria; Hemolysis; Insecta; Lipopeptides; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Molecular Sequence Data; Peptaibols; Peptides; Trichoderma; Viruses