Streptomyces

 

 

-more than 500 species which reside in both soil and water

-many species are vital in the decompostition of organic matter into soil

    -contribute in part for soil's earthy odor

    -certain species produce a large variety of antibiotics  

 

 

-all streptomyces are gram-positive, aerobic bacteria

-all streptomyces form a long string-like net called a mycelium that has chains of spores when the bacteria is mature

 

 

Source #1 Encyclopedia Britannica "Streptomyces"

Things to look up: Pics of Mycelium/spores

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Streptomycin

 

-the antibiotic synthesized by Streptomyces Griseus

-first discovered in 1943 by American biochemists Selman Waksman, Albert Schatz, and Elizabeth Bugie.

    -this discovery led to a Nobel Prize award

-the drugs use is to interfere with a microorganisms ability to synthesize certain vital proteins

-because it was effective against a wide spectrum of diseases, it was used frequently and resulted in the resistance of many of the bacteria, including the one that causes TUBERCULOSIS

-used with penecillin to treat heart valve infections

-used with tetracyclines in the treatment of plague, tularemia, and brucellosis.

 

Source #2 Encyclopedia Britannice "Streptomycin"

Things to look up: American biochemists

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Tetracycline

 

-an antibiotic isolated from Streptomyces bacteria

-acts by interfering with the ability of a given bacterium to make certain vital proteins;

-inhibitors of growth (bacteriostatic) rather than killers of the infectious agent (bacteriocidal)

-the antibiotic is only effective against multiplying microorganisms.

-used to treat cholera, trachoma, which is an infection of the eye,pisittacosis, disease transmitted by some species of birds, tularemia, and brucellosbis

-Some other forms have been used to fight acne

-However, by the late 1900s a large number of microorganisms became resistant and so the use of the antibiotic was called into question

 

Extra Source on Antibiotics Encyclopedia Britannica "Tetracycline"

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Streptomyces

-largest genus of Actinobacteria

-identified by their "earthy" odor because they produce a volactile metabolite, geosmin

-They have a complex secondary metabolism

-They are infrequent pathogen, which means an infectous agent

-As of late, biotechnology researchers have started to use STREPTOMYCIN for the production of recombiant of human proteins

    -it works better than E. coli because it doesn't create improper protein folding

-produce both antibacterials and antifungals, as well as a large spectrum of other "bioactive" compounds like immunosuppressants, which prevent immune system activity.

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ANTIFUNGALS

 

Nystatin

-polyne antifungal drug

-treats oral gastointestinal fungal infections

-used to prevent the spread of mold on works of art

 

 

Natamycin

-used as a preservative to stop mold growth of foods like cheese