thienamycin
Sign in to saveThienamycin (also known as thienpenem) is one of the most potent naturally produced antibiotics known thus far, discovered in Streptomyces cattleya in 1976. Thienamycin has excellent activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and is resistant to bacterial β-lactamase enzymes. Thienamycin is a zwitterion at pH 7.
Article
6 sectionsContents
- History
- Mechanism of action
- Biosynthesis
- Total synthesis
- Clinical use
- References
Thienamycin (also known as thienpenem) is one of the most potent naturally produced antibiotics known thus far, discovered in Streptomyces cattleya in 1976. Thienamycin has excellent activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and is resistant to bacterial β-lactamase enzymes. Thienamycin is a zwitterion at pH 7.
==History== In 1976, fermentation broths obtained from the soil bacterium Streptomyces cattleya were found to be active in a screen for inhibitors of peptidoglycan biosynthesis. Initial attempts to isolate the active compound proved difficult due to its chemical instability. After many attempts and extensive purification, the material was finally isolated in >90% purity, allowing for the structural elucidation of thienamycin in 1979.