Dracomicins, Hybrid Oligosaccharide-Nonribosomal Peptide Antibiotics from Amycolatopsis Species

Dracomicins constitute a new class of oligosaccharide-nonribosomal peptide specialized metabolites isolated from the minor actinomycete genus Amycolatopsis. Their structures were determined by NMR, mass spectrometry, and chemical derivatization approaches. Along with their novel chemical scaffolds, dracomicins show unprecedented structural features, including previously unreported β-methyl amino acids and amino sugars. In silico analysis of the biosynthetic gene cluster allowed us to outline a biosynthetic pathway to these novel compounds. Dracomicins showed potent activity against multidrug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens.