Biosynthesis, biotechnological production, and application of teicoplanin: current state and perspectives

The glycopeptide teicoplanin isolated from the fermentation broth of Actinoplanes teichomyceticus is used to treat serious Gram-positive bacterial infections that are resistant to other antibiotics, e.g. beta-lactams. The long time frame and progressively broader clinical use of teicoplanin has eventually led to the emergence and spreading of resistance in enterococci and staphylococci towards the antibiotics. Given the structural complexity of the natural product, only fermentative routes are available for bulk production of teicoplanin even though the total synthesis of the antibiotic has been accomplished. Because the low productivity (0.1-3.1 g/L) is a limitation to the commercial production of teicoplanin, substantial effort has been devoted to the strain improvement and process development for enhancing the productivity. This review summarizes the current state of the action mechanism, antibacterial activity, resistance mechanism, biotechnological production, and application of teicoplanin.