Isolation and characterization of Escherichia coli strains producing microcins of B and C types.
A screening of 11956 enterobacteria isolates resulted in selection of seven active microcin-producing strains. The microcins were shown to be peptides or their derivatives with a rather broad spectrum of activity, mainly against Gram-negative bacteria. According to cross-immunity criteria, the microcins studied belonged to two of the previously suggested types, B (five strains) and C (two strains). Those of type B could be further classified into two subtypes on the account of differences in the spectrum of antibacterial activity. In five cases out of seven the microcin-producing ability has been attributed to plasmids that the strains harboured. The effect of microcins on sensitive cells was shown to depend on ompR and ompF gene products.
Khmel
I A
IA
Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow.
Bondarenko
V M
VM
Manokhina
I M
IM
Basyuk
E I
EI
Metlitskaya
A Z
AZ
Lipasova
V A
VA
Romanova
Y M
YM
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000145:classification; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D001430:Bacteriocins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D010957:Plasmids
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001430:Bacteriocins; C020411:microcin