Bactoprenol

Bactoprenol is a lipid synthesized from mevalonic acid and is the most abundant lipid found in certain species of lactobacilli. Mesosomal and plasma bactoprenol are synthesized independently from each other. == Function ==

Bactoprenol is thought to play a key role in the formation of cell walls in Gram-positive bacteria by cycling peptidoglycan monomers through the plasma membrane and inserting these monomers at points of growth in the bacterial cell wall. == Antibiotic significance ==

Because bactoprenol is so important for cell growth, numerous antibiotic compounds function by disrupting the bactoprenol-mediated transportation pathway. This strategy was first identified by studying the antibiotic mechanism of friulimicin B. Since then, other antibiotics that make use of a similar mechanism have been identified, including nisin and lantibiotics such as NAI-107. ==See also==