Myxobacteria Biodiversity Boom: 118 New Strains Yield Five Novel Antibiotic Classes Against Multidrug-Resistant Pathogens
核心洞察
Researchers at HIPS have expanded known myxobacteria (搜索) diversity from 32 genera across 11 families to 90 genera across 28 families, sequencing genomes of all 118 newly described strains.
Analysis of the new genomes revealed multiple previously unseen gene sequences encoding potential active compounds, with five novel compound classes already characterized including antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral agents.
The team launched ABC-Myxo, a free interactive web-based atlas of myxobacterial biosynthetic gene clusters, making this genomic resource available to researchers worldwide.
The soil beneath our feet may hold the answer to one of modern medicine's most pressing crises. Scientists at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (搜索) (HIPS), a site of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (搜索) (HZI) in collaboration with Saarland University, have dramatically expanded the known universe of myxobacteria (搜索)—soil-dwelling microorganisms that represent an unparalleled source of novel antimicrobial compounds. In a landmark study, the team describes 118 new myxobacterial strains, expanding the taxonomic landscape from a mere 11 families and 32 genera to an expansive 28 families and 90 genera, and has already characterized five entirely new classes of bioactive compounds from this expanded collection.
The work, led by Prof. Rolf Müller, Scientific Director of HIPS and head of the department "Microbial Natural Products," builds on decades of foundational research by HZI scientists Prof. Hans Reichenbach and Prof. Gerhard Höfle, whose efforts established a global collection now exceeding 14,000 myxobacterial strains. Soil samples collected over several decades, supplemented by contributions from citizen scientists participating in the Microbelix campaign, provided the raw material for this biodiversity expansion.
A Genomic Goldmine
Beyond merely cataloging new organisms, the HIPS team sequenced the genomes of all newly described myxobacteria (搜索), uncovering a wealth of genetic blueprints for potential drug candidates. "The newly isolated bacteria and their genome sequences offer us a rich treasure trove of novel natural products and their genetic blueprints," said Dr. Ronald Garcia, a scientist in the "Microbial Natural Products" department. "In virtually every genome analyzed, we find multiple gene sequences for the production of potential active compounds that no one has ever seen before—that's incredibly exciting."
To democratize access to this resource, the researchers developed ABC-Myxo, an interactive, web-based atlas cataloging the gene regions myxobacteria (搜索) use to produce active compounds. The platform is available free of charge to researchers worldwide. The bacterial strains themselves will be maintained for future research by the Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures.
Five New Compound Classes Emerge
The study did not stop at genomic potential—the team demonstrated that novel natural compounds can indeed be derived from these bacteria and their genetic information. Five new classes of compounds were characterized, each with distinct biological activities:
- Myxoquaterines demonstrated efficacy against fungi
- Sandacrabines showed antiviral properties
- Sandarazoles exhibited antibacterial effects
- New sorangibactin siderophores were identified
- Pyxidicyclines represent a novel class of topoisomerase inhibitors
The discovery of pyxidicyclines (搜索) is particularly noteworthy, as topoisomerase inhibitors constitute a validated class of antibacterial agents, and novel chemotypes in this space are urgently needed given rising resistance to existing drugs.
Biodiversity as the Foundation for Drug Discovery
The findings underscore a fundamental principle in natural products research: the greater the biological diversity of the organisms studied, the higher the probability of discovering previously unknown candidate compounds. Compared to other microorganisms, myxobacteria (搜索) remain relatively unexplored, which, as this study demonstrates, dramatically increases the likelihood of groundbreaking discoveries.
"Our data impressively demonstrate how important microbial biodiversity is for the discovery of new natural and active compounds," said Müller. "Hardly any new compounds can be found in microorganisms that have already been well studied. Our myxobacterial collection, on the other hand, offers unparalleled potential for discovering truly novel chemical structures. It thus lays the foundation for urgently needed active compounds to effectively treat infectious diseases in the future as well."
The increasing frequency of multidrug-resistant pathogens—against which even reserve antibiotics prove ineffective—lends urgency to this work. Every newly discovered substance carries the hope of yielding a molecule suitable for further development into a pharmaceutical active compound, and with 118 new genomes now publicly accessible, the myxobacterial treasure trove has only begun to reveal its secrets.