Pharmaceutics (Aug 2021)

Myxobacteria as a Source of New Bioactive Compounds: A Perspective Study

  • Mudasir Ahmad Bhat,
  • Awdhesh Kumar Mishra,
  • Mujtaba Aamir Bhat,
  • Mohammad Iqbal Banday,
  • Ommer Bashir,
  • Irfan A. Rather,
  • Safikur Rahman,
  • Ali Asghar Shah,
  • Arif Tasleem Jan

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13081265
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 8
p. 1265

Abstract

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Myxobacteria are unicellular, Gram-negative, soil-dwelling, gliding bacteria that belong to class δ-proteobacteria and order Myxococcales. They grow and proliferate by transverse fission under normal conditions, but form fruiting bodies which contain myxospores during unfavorable conditions. In view of the escalating problem of antibiotic resistance among disease-causing pathogens, it becomes mandatory to search for new antibiotics effective against such pathogens from natural sources. Among the different approaches, Myxobacteria, having a rich armor of secondary metabolites, preferably derivatives of polyketide synthases (PKSs) along with non-ribosomal peptide synthases (NRPSs) and their hybrids, are currently being explored as producers of new antibiotics. The Myxobacterial species are functionally characterized to assess their ability to produce antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, antimalarial, immunosuppressive, cytotoxic and antioxidative bioactive compounds. In our study, we have found their compounds to be effective against a wide range of pathogens associated with the concurrence of different infectious diseases.

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