Enramycin
Chemical compound
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Enramycin (also known as enduracidin) is a polypeptide antibiotic produced by Streptomyces fungicidus. Enramycin is widely used as a feed additive for pigs and chickens to prevent necrotic enteritis induced by Gram-positive gut pathogens.[1]
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| Formula | C107H138Cl2N26O31 |
| Molar mass | 2355.33 g·mol−1 |
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Mechanism of action
Enramycin acts as an inhibitor of the enzyme MurG, which is essential for cell wall biosynthesis in Gram-positive bacteria. MurG catalyzes the transglycosylation reaction in the last step of peptidoglycan biosynthesis. Inhibiting this step greatly compromises cell wall integrity leading to cell lysis.[2]
Spectrum of susceptibility
Enramycin has been found to be very effective against Gram-positive gut pathogens, most notably, Clostridium perfringens; a leading cause of necrotic enteritis.[citation needed] The following represents MIC data for a couple of veterinary pathogens.[3]
- Clostridium perfringens: 0.05 μg/ml – 1.6 μg/ml
- Staphylococcus aureus: 0.013 μg/ml – 0.413 μg/ml
Composition
Standard grade enramycin is composed of two main components called enramycin A and enramycin B. These two components are routinely used as analytical reference standards; however, their activity as individual compounds does not appear to be widely studied or characterized.[4]