2.B.6 The Ionomycin (Ionomycin) Family
Ionomycin is an ionophoric antibiotic synthesized by Streptomyces conglobatus sp. Treja. It functions as an antibiotic against many Gram-positive bacteria. The 1:1 Ca2+ complex has the formula C41H70O9Ca2+ (MW = 747). It is a lipid soluble divalent cation-specific ionophore that transports divalent cations across biological and artificial membranes by a carrier-type mechanism. It exhibits cation selectivity in the order: Pb2+ > Cd2+ > Zn2+ > Mn2+ > Ca2+ > Cu2+ > Co2+ > Ni2+ > Sr2+.
The generalized reaction catalyzed by ionomycin is:
C2+(out)C2+(in). (C2+ = divalent cation)
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