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Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 12 1996, 4529-4535, Vol 62, No. 12
AL Kaiser and TJ Montville
Bavaricin MN was purified from Lactobacillus sake culture supernatant
135-fold with a final yield of 11%. Sequence analysis revealed bavaricin MN
to be a 42-amino-acid peptide having a molecular weight of 4,769 and a
calculated pI of 10.0. Computer analysis indicated that the C-terminal
region may form an alpha-helical structure with an amphipathic nature
deemed important in the interaction of bacteriocins with biological
membranes. Bavaricin MN rapidly depleted the membrane potential (delta p)
of energized Listeria monocytogenes cells in a concentration-dependent
fashion. At a bavaricin MN concentration of 9.0 micrograms/ml, the delta p
decreased by 85%. Both the electrical potential (delta psi) and Z delta pH
components of the delta p were depleted, and this depletion was not
dependent on a threshold level of proton motive force. In addition to
studying the effect of bavaricin MN on the delta p of vegetative cells,
bavaricin MN-induced carboxyfluorescein (CF) efflux from L.
monocytogenes-derived lipid vesicles was also characterized. Bavaricin
MN-induced CF leakage was also concentration dependent with an optimum of
pH 6.0. The rate of CF efflux was 63% greater in lipid vesicles in which a
delta psi was generated compared with that in lipid vesicles in the absence
of a delta psi.
Copyright © 1996, American Society for Microbiology
Purification of the bacteriocin bavaricin MN and characterization of its mode of action against Listeria monocytogenes Scott A cells and lipid vesicles
Program in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick 08903, USA.
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