Gardimycin, a new antibiotic inhibiting peptidoglycan synthesis.

Gardimycin, a new antibiotic, at 100 mug/ml, specifically inhibited cell wall synthesis and induced accumulation of uridine 5'-diphosphate-N-acetylmur-amylpentapeptide in whole cells of Bacillus subtilis. The antibiotic was active in a particulate enzyme preparation from Bacillus stearothermophilus: 60 mug/ml caused 50%, and 200mug/ml caused 100%, inhibition of peptidoglycan synthesis. Suppression of peptidoglycan synthesis was accompanied by parallel accumulation of the lipid intermediate. This mechanism of action is discussed in comparison with those of other antibiotics that are known to inhibit bacterial cell wall biosynthesis.