Many of the members of the streptogramins reported in the literature have the same structure and different names; for example, pristinamycin IA = vernamycin Bα = mikamycin B = osteogrycin B.
[1] The biosynthesis of streptogramin B is carried out by large multifunctional enzymes called non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS).
[1] The streptogramin antibiotics were identified almost 50 years ago, but have only recently found clinical use as a consequence of the increase in multidrug-resistant bacteria.
They present poor solubility in aqueous solution, and this has limited their clinical use; however, the natural products still find use as feed additives in agriculture.
[4] Medicinal chemists at Rhône-Poulenc worked in the preparation of semi-synthetic, water-soluble, derivatives of pristinamycin IA (B type streptogramin) and pristinamycin IIA (A type streptogramin) giving rise to quinupristin and dalfopristin, respectively, which, when administered in a 3:7 ratio, comprise the 1999 FDA approved drug Synercid.