TY - JOUR KW - AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections KW - DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases KW - Drug Resistance, Microbial KW - Humans KW - leprosy KW - Molecular Structure KW - Mycobacterium avium KW - Mycobacterium leprae KW - Mycobacterium tuberculosis KW - Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors KW - Rifamycins KW - Tuberculosis AU - Lal R AU - Lal S AB -

Rifamycin is a clinically useful macrolide antibiotic produced by the gram positive bacterium Amycolatopsis mediterranei. This antibiotic is primarily used against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium leprae, causative agents of tuberculosis and leprosy, respectively. In these bacteria, rifamycin treatment specifically inhibits the initiation of RNA synthesis by binding to beta-subunit of RNA polymerase. Apart from its activity against the bacteria, rifamycin has also been reported to inhibit reverse transcriptase (RT) of certain RNA viruses. Recently, rifamycin derivatives have been discovered that are effective against Mycobacterium avium, which is associated with the AIDS complex. Consequently, the importance of and demand for rifamycin has increased tremendously, the world over. In this article, recent trends in rifamycin research and accessibility of recombinant DNA techniques to increase rifamycin production are reviewed.

BT - BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7513153?dopt=Abstract DA - 1994 Mar DO - 10.1002/bies.950160313 IS - 3 J2 - Bioessays LA - eng N2 -

Rifamycin is a clinically useful macrolide antibiotic produced by the gram positive bacterium Amycolatopsis mediterranei. This antibiotic is primarily used against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium leprae, causative agents of tuberculosis and leprosy, respectively. In these bacteria, rifamycin treatment specifically inhibits the initiation of RNA synthesis by binding to beta-subunit of RNA polymerase. Apart from its activity against the bacteria, rifamycin has also been reported to inhibit reverse transcriptase (RT) of certain RNA viruses. Recently, rifamycin derivatives have been discovered that are effective against Mycobacterium avium, which is associated with the AIDS complex. Consequently, the importance of and demand for rifamycin has increased tremendously, the world over. In this article, recent trends in rifamycin research and accessibility of recombinant DNA techniques to increase rifamycin production are reviewed.

PY - 1994 SP - 211 EP - 6 T2 - BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology TI - Recent trends in rifamycin research. VL - 16 SN - 0265-9247 ER -