Moenomycins, such as moenomycin A, are phosphoglycolipid specialized metabolites produced by a number of actinobacterial species. They are among the most potent antibacterial compounds known to date, which drew numerous studies directed at various aspects of the chemistry and biology of moenomycins. In this review, we outline the advances in moenomycin research over the last decade. We focus on biological aspects, highlighting the contribution of the novel methods of genomics and molecular biology to the deciphering of the biosynthesis and activity of moenomycins. Specifically, we describe the structural diversity of moenomycins as well as the underlying genomic variations in moenomycin biosynthetic gene clusters. We also describe the most recent data on the mechanism of action and assembly of complicated phosphoglycolipid scaffold. We conclude with the description of the genetic control of moenomycin production by Streptomyces bacteria and a brief outlook on future developments.
Keywords: Bacterial cell wall; Biosynthetic gene clusters; Peptidoglycan glycosyltransferases; Phosphoglycolipid antibiotics; Streptomyces.
© 2022 The Author(s).