Novel Antibiotic From Rare Earth Mine Fights Superbugs With Unique Strategy
Saarvienin A shows strong activity against drug-resistant bacteria and may bypass common antibiotic resistance.
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A newly identified antibiotic compound, saarvienin A, has shown strong activity against drug-resistant bacteria, including several high-risk pathogens. The discovery was led by researchers from the University of Vienna and the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland.
A new structure from a rare environment
Saarvienin A was isolated from a strain of Amycolatopsis found in a rare earth mine in China. The bacterium belongs to the actinobacteria group, known for producing clinically important antibiotics such as vancomycin and rifamycin. Initial extracts from the strain demonstrated potent antibacterial activity, which prompted further analysis.
"We were excited to find that saarvienin A doesn't fit into any known category. Its unique structure could pave the way for antibiotics that bacteria have never encountered before."
Dr. Jaime Felipe Guerrero.
A team at the University of Vienna, including scientists from the Division of Pharmacognosy and the Mass Spectrometry Center, identified the compound as a novel glycopeptide. Structural analysis using mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy confirmed that the compound featured an unusual architecture, including a halogenated peptide core cyclized via a ureido linkage and a sugar chain with two previously unidentified sugar units.
Ureido linkage
A type of chemical bond that includes a urea-derived functional group. In peptides, it can influence molecular stability and biological activity.Unconventional mode of action
Unlike traditional glycopeptides that inhibit bacterial cell wall synthesis by binding to well-characterized targets, saarvienin A appears to act through a different, yet to be determined, mechanism. This deviation from known antibiotic pathways suggests the compound may avoid common bacterial resistance mechanisms.
Glycopeptide antibiotics
A class of antibiotics that inhibit bacterial cell wall synthesis. They typically target Gram-positive bacteria and include drugs such as vancomycin and teicoplanin.The compound's structural uniqueness has positioned it as a promising candidate for further investigation. Its name reflects the collaboration between Saarbrücken and Vienna.
Activity against drug-resistant pathogens
Biological testing conducted by the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland showed that saarvienin A was effective against several clinically relevant drug-resistant strains. These included vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), as well as other members of the ESKAPE group of pathogens.
ESKAPE pathogens
A group of six bacterial species known for their ability to evade the effects of antibiotics. The acronym stands for Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter species.In laboratory settings, saarvienin A consistently outperformed vancomycin against a selection of 26 clinical isolates. The compound’s broad activity across resistant strains underscores its potential as a starting point for antibiotic development.
Optimizing the compound for therapeutic use
With the biosynthetic gene cluster for saarvienin A already identified and cloned, researchers are now focusing on modifying the compound to improve its pharmacological properties. Medicinal chemistry and biosynthetic engineering approaches aim to reduce cytotoxicity while preserving its antibacterial potency.
"Discovering a new antibiotic is only the beginning. Now we face the fascinating challenge of refining it into a drug candidate suitable for clinical use."
Dr. Sergey B. Zotchev.
The discovery adds to the growing body of work exploring natural environments for new antibiotics and offers a potential route to addressing the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance.
Reference: Kaur A, Guerrero‐Garzón JF, Rasheed S, et al. Saarvienin a—a novel glycopeptide with potent activity against drug-resistant bacteria. Angew Chem Int Ed. 2025:e202425588. doi: 10.1002/anie.202425588
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