Streptomyces
Antibiotics target essential proteins for pathogens’ growth and survival, inhibiting essential functions. For example, streptomycin, which is made from S. griseus, irreversibly binds to bacterial genetic material and causes errors in the production of new proteins, which leads to cell death. It can be used for treating severe infections, such as tuberculosis and plague. Another example is avermectin, made from S. avermitili. It causes invertebrate paralysis (inability to make and pass nerve impulses), which is used as a drug and pesticide against parasitic worms and insects. Avermectin enhances glutamate (neurotransmitter) at the glutamate-gated chloride channels that mammals don’t possess. It causes the excess of chloride ions inside the cell (hyperpolarisation), so the action potential cannot be further induced, ultimately leading to paralysis.