Thiazoplanomicin, a new thiazolyl peptide antibiotic from the leaf-litter actinomycete Actinoplanes sp. MM794L-181F6

A new bioactive substance was identified from a leaf-litter actinomycete strain by screening for antibacterial activity against Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The thiazolyl peptide antibiotic, named thiazoplanomicin, was isolated from the secondary metabolites of the leaf-litter actinomycetes Actinoplanes sp. MM794L-181F6 by extraction with n-butanol, silica gel column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, and preparative HPLC. Thiazoplanomicin was characterized by LC-HR-ESI-MS, NMR, and X-ray analyses, along with analysis of the degradation products and chemical derivatives, and determined to be a nocathiacin-like multiple macrocyclic thiazolyl peptide. Thiazoplanomicin showed potent antimicrobial activity against gonococcal strains, including those resistant to known anti-gonococcal compounds such as telithromycin, azithromycin, and ceftriaxone, with MIC values ranging from 0.0312 to 0.125 µg ml^-1. Such anti-gonococcal activity has not been reported on nocathiacin-like thiazolyl peptide antibiotic so far. Similar to other thiazolyl peptide antibiotics, thiazoplanomicin also showed potent antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria with MIC values ranging from 0.0005 to 0.0156 µg ml^-1 but showed no antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli.