Salinomycin is a polyether potassium ionophore antibiotic, which promotes
cation movement beyond biological membranes via exchange-diffusion. As a
aftereffect of this cation exchange, the transmembrane gradients are altered,
which leads to changes in cellular action and metabolism. In addition,
Salinomycin acts as a chelating abettor appear monovalent cations such as
sodium and potassium ions. Alternate studies advance that Salinomycin
selectively inhibits blight stem-like cells.
A aggregation from the University of Cambridge has cloned and sequenced the
biosynthetic array amenable for salinomycin production, from Streptomyces albus
DSM 41398. This has apparent that the polyketide courage of salinomycin is synthesised
on an accumulation band of nine polyketide synthase (PKS) multienzymes.
Furthermore, the array contains genes complex in oxidative cyclization
including salC (epoxidase) and salBI/BII/BIII (epoxide hydrolase) genes. The
array aswell contains genes doubtable to be complex in self-resistance, export,
forerunner accumulation and regulation. Interestingly, the array contains a
NRPS-like carrier protein, SalX, that is doubtable to binding “pre-salinomycin” during oxidative cyclization. By inactivating salC the
Cambridge-based aggregation accept approved that salinomycin biosynthesis gain
via a diene intermediate.