Inhibition of Peptidoglycan Synthesis by the Antibiotic Diumycin A

Abstract
Diumycin A, a new antibiotic, was found to inhibit cell wall synthesis by Staphylococcus aureus , a phenomenon accompanied by accumulation of uridine-5′-diphosphate- N -acetyl-muramyl-pentapeptide. The antibiotic inhibited in vitro peptidoglycan synthesis by particulate preparations of Bacillus stearothermophilus and Escherichia coli by preventing the utilization of N -acetyl-glucosamine- N -acetyl-muramyl-pentapeptide. In contrast to vancomycin, the antibiotics diumycin, prasinomycin, moenomycin, 11.837 RP, and enduracidin do not inhibit particulate d -alanine carboxypeptidase.