Isolation and Structure of<i>staph</i>-cAM373 Produced by<i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>That Induces Conjugal Transfer of<i>Enterococcus faecalis</i>Plasmid pAM373

Abstract

Enterococus faecalis plasmid pAM373 encodes a mating response to the sex pheromone, cAM373, which is secreted from pAM373-free E. faecalis. cAM373-like activity was detected in a culture filtrate of Staphylococcus aureus. The major active substance, termed staph-cAM373, was isolated, and its structure was identified as a H-Ala-IIe-Phe-IIe-Leu-Ala-Ala-OH heptapeptide.