Actinobacteria: A Renewable Source of Bioactive Molecules with Medical, Industrial and Pharmacological Importance | Chapter 04 | Advances and Trends in Biotechnology and Genetics Vol. 1
The Actinobacteria receive much attention, since they produce a wide variety of metabolites, including antibiotics, antitumor agents, antioxidant molecules and enzyme inhibitors. These bacteria can be found in various habitats, including soil, ocean, extreme environments, mangrove, lichen, plants, and animals. The classification of Actinobacteria based upon the morphological observation, physiological and biochemical characteristics is not enough to differentiate the genera of this phylum. Following, a complementary identification is performed based on the distribution of specific constituents of the cellular wall, such as diaminopimelic acid and carbohydrates. With the advent of molecular biology, the identification of genera and species became more reliable. The screening of microbial natural products has become an important route to discover new bioactive compounds in order to develop new therapeutic agents. Actinobacteria remains one of the leading producers of biopharmaceutical...