Unusually strong binding of Ca2+ ions by the novel antibiotic squalestatin-1
Abstract
The squalestatins, inhibitors of squalene synthase and potent antimicrobial agents, have potential both as cholesterol-lowering drugs and as antibiotics; using potentiometry and circular dichroism, we show that squalestatin-1 has a much higher affinity for Ca2+ than citrate, and readily inserts into SDS micelles (a model membrane), processes which may be relevant to its mechanism of action.