Selvamicin, an atypical antifungal polyene from two alternative genomic contexts

Significance Bacteria use small molecules to mediate their relationships with nearby microbes, and these molecules represent both a promising source of therapeutic agents and a model system for the evolution and dissemination of molecular diversity. This study deals with one such molecule, selvamicin, which is produced by ant-associated bacteria. These bacteria protect the ants’ nests against fungal pathogens. Selvamicin is an atypical member of a clinically important class of antifungal agents, and it appears to have both better therapeutic properties and a different mechanism of action. Further, the genes for producing it are found on the bacteria’s chromosome in one ant nest but on a plasmid in another, illustrating the likely path by which it has spread.

Selvamicin, an atypical antifungal polyene from two alternative genomic contexts Journal Articles