The antibiotic lysolipin, which was isolated in Tübingen in 1975 by Hans Zähner's group, is a potent antimicrobial and anti-tumor agent.
The molecular target of this molecule is not yet clearly identified. There are strong indications, that lysolipin interacts with components of the bacterial cell envelope.
The lysolipin molecule is a large aromatic polykeitide. The chemical structure and isotope feeding studies indicate an extensive degree of post-PKS oxidative modification. (Actually, lysolipin is one of the most heavenly oxidized secondary metabolites known so far).These modifications include the formation of a xanthone structure which is rarely observed in natural products of bacterial origin.
