Chemical Properties
White powder. Weakly acidic. Freely
soluble in water and alcohol. Produced by Streptomyces hygroscopicus.
Uses
Medicine (broad-spectrum antibiotic).
Uses
Hygromycin A, a neglected antibiotic, selectively kills the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. It was able to treat Lyme disease in mice without disrupting the microbiome.
Definition
ChEBI: A natural product found in Streptomyces species.
Biological Activity
Hygromycin A is an orally available antibiotic produced by Streptomyces hygroscopicus th at targets the ribosomal 23S rRNA. Hygromycin A is selectively taken up by nucleoside transporter specific to spirochete bacteria including Borreliella burgdorferi, which causes Lyme disease. It clears B. burgdorferi infection in mice with lesser disruption of micron=biome than clinical antibiotics.