This family represents sublancin, a small bacteriocin active against Gram-positive bacteria. This family appears to be restricted to Bacilli. Sublancin was thought to be a lantibiotic but was later shown to be an S-linked glycopeptide [1,2]. Glycosylation is essential for its antimicrobial activity. Sublancin is biosynthesised as a precursor peptide bearing an N-terminal leader peptide, and a C-terminal core peptide that is converted into the mature peptide [1]. Sublancin comprises two alpha helices and a well-defined inter-helical loop [3]. Sublancin inhibits B.cereus spore outgrowth, after the germination stage, approximately 1000-fold better than it inhibits exponential growth of the same cells and inhibits B.subtilis strain ATCC6633 and B. megaterium strain 14581 [2].

1: Sublancin is not a lantibiotic but an S-linked glycopeptide. Oman TJ, Boettcher JM, Wang H, Okalibe XN, van der Donk WA; Nat Chem Biol. 2011;7:78-80. PMID:21196935

2: Identification and characterization of the structural and transporter genes for, and the chemical and biological properties of, sublancin 168, a novel lantibiotic produced by Bacillus subtilis 168. Paik SH, Chakicherla A, Hansen JN; J Biol Chem. 1998;273:23134-23142. PMID:9722542

3: NMR structure of the S-linked glycopeptide sublancin 168. Garcia De Gonzalo CV, Zhu L, Oman TJ, van der Donk WA; ACS Chem Biol. 2014;9:796-801. PMID:24405370