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. 1972 May;69(5):1287-9.
doi: 10.1073/pnas.69.5.1287.

Inhibition of sterol biosynthesis by bacitracin

K J Stone, J L Strominger

Inhibition of sterol biosynthesis by bacitracin

K J Stone et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1972 May.

Abstract

Bacitracin is an inhibitor of the biosynthesis of squalene and sterols from mevalonic acid, C(5)-isopentenyl pyrophosphate, or C(15)-farnesyl pyrophosphate catalyzed by preparations from rat liver. The antibiotic is active at extremely low ratios of antibiotic to substrate. The mechanism of inhibition appears to be the formation of a complex between bacitracin, divalent cation, and C(15)-farnesyl pyrophosphate and other isoprenyl pyrophosphates. It is similar to the formation of the complex with C(55)-isopropenyl pyrophosphate in microbial systems. The toxicity of bacitracin for animal cells could be due in part to the formation of these complexes.

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References

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