Comparison of the monovalent cation complexes of monensin, nigericin, and dianemycin

Abstract Complexes of monovalent metal cations with the antibiotics monensins, nigericin, and dianemycin have been shown by X-ray crystallography to be functionally very similar. Differences in cation specificities can be attributed to differences in size and flexibility of the antibiotic ligands. Strong similarities between the three antibiotics suggest a common biosynthetic mechanism.