Polyether Polyketides

Polycyclic polyketides with distinctive ladder shaped multiple polyether motifs. In STREPTOMYCES polycyclic polyketide backbones are assembled by type I modular polyketide synthases which then are modified by epoxidase and epoxide hydrolase to achieve their stereochemistry. Polyether ionophore antibiotics coordinate alkali metal cations with their multiple oxygen atoms which disturbs sodium/potassium concentration gradient. They are widely used to treat and control COCCIDIOSIS. Structurally related MARINE LADDER POLYETHERS are neurotoxins.