Lantibiotic salivaricins are polycyclic peptides containing lanthionine and/or β-methyllanthionine residues produced by certain strains of Streptococcus salivarius, which almost exclusively reside in the human oral cavity. The importance of these molecules stems from their antimicrobial activity towards relevant oral pathogens which has so far been applied through the development of salivaricin-producing probiotic strains. However, salivaricins may also prove to be of great value in the development of new and novel antibacterial therapies in this era of emerging antibiotic resistance. In this review, we describe the biosynthesis, antimicrobial activity, structure, and mode of action of the lantibiotic salivaricins characterized to date. Moreover, we also provide an expert opinion and suggestions for future development of this important field of microbiology.

羊毛硫抗生素唾液酸蛋白是含有唾液链球菌某些菌株产生的羊毛硫氨酸和/或β-甲基羊毛硫氨酸残基的多环肽几乎只存在于人类口腔中。这些分子的重要性源于它们对相关口腔病原体的抗微生物活性，迄今为止，它们已经通过产生唾液酸的益生菌菌株的开发而得到应用。但是，在这个新出现的抗生素耐药性时代，唾液酸苷也可能被证明在开发新的和新颖的抗菌疗法中具有重要价值。在这篇综述中，我们描述了迄今为止表征的羊毛硫抗生素唾液素的生物合成，抗菌活性，结构和作用方式。此外，我们还为该重要微生物学领域的未来发展提供专家意见和建议。