- Iorio, Marianna;
- Sasso, Oscar;
- Maffioli, Sonia I;
- Bertorelli, Rosalia;
- Monciardini, Paolo;
- Sosio, Margherita;
- Bonezzi, Fabiola;
- Summa, Maria;
- Brunati, Cristina;
- Bordoni, Roberta;
- Corti, Giorgio;
- Tarozzo, Glauco;
- Piomelli, Daniele;
- Reggiani, Angelo;
- Donadio, Stefano
Among the growing family of ribosomally synthesized, post-translationally modified peptides, particularly intriguing are class III lanthipeptides containing the triamino acid labionin. In the course of a screening program aimed at finding bacterial cell wall inhibitors, we discovered a new lanthipeptide produced by an Actinoplanes sp. The molecule, designated NAI-112, consists of 22 amino acids and contains an N-terminal labionin and a C-terminal methyl-labionin. Unique among lanthipeptides, it carries a 6-deoxyhexose moiety N-linked to a tryptophan residue. Consistently, the corresponding gene cluster encodes, in addition to the LanKC enzyme characteristic of this lanthipeptide class, a glycosyl transferase. Despite possessing weak antibacterial activity, NAI-112 is effective in experimental models of nociceptive pain, reducing pain symptoms in mice in both the formalin and the chronic constriction injury tests. Thus, NAI-112 represents, after the labyrinthopeptins, the second example of a lanthipeptide effective against nociceptive pain.