This review demonstrates biological activity of calcium-dependent lipopeptide antibiotics against multidrug-resistant bacteria, suggesting their potential in therapeutics.
The rapid emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria threatens the effectiveness of existing antibiotics and has created an urgent need for agents with novel mechanisms of action. Calcium-dependent antibiotics (CDAs), a structurally diverse group of nonribosomal cyclic lipopeptides, have gained attention for their potent activity against Gram-positive pathogens, including strains resistant to conventional therapies. Their hallmark feature is Ca²⁺-mediated activation: the calcium ion binding to the lipopeptide enables selective interactions with bacterial lipids or cell-wall precursors. This review examines the relationship between CDA structure, Ca²⁺ coordination, mechanistic diversity, and biological activity. Together, these features position CDAs as promising templates for next-generation therapeutics to combat the escalating MDR crisis.
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Goodyear et al. (2026) studied this question.
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