Princeton Engineering researchers report they have isolated a compound that kills bacteria that can cause incurable infections. The compound, called cloacaenodin, is a short, slip-knotted chain of amino acids known as a lasso peptide, encoded by gut-dwelling bacteria as a defense mechanism. The peptide works by attacking rival bacteria.
Their study, “Cloacaenodin, an Antimicrobial Lasso Peptide with Activity against Enterobacter,” is published in the journal ACS Infectious Diseases and led by A. James Link, PhD, professor of chemical and biological engineering at Princeton.
