Characteristics and identification of enterocins produced by Enterococcus faecium JCM 5804T.
OBJECTIVE
To screen bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in 52 type and reference strains, which have not previously been studied, with respect to bacteriocins, and to characterize the presence of bacteriocins.


RESULTS
Only Enterococcus faecium JCM 5804T showed bacteriocin-like activity. It inhibited the growth of Lactobacillus spp., Enterococcus spp., Clostridium spp., Listeria monocytogenes, and vancomycin resistant Enterococcus (VRE). However, it was not effective against Gram-negative strains, Weisella spp., Leuconostoc spp., Lactococcus spp., or methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The inhibitory activity of Ent. faecium JCM 5804T was inactivated by proteinase K, trypsin, alpha-chymotrypsin, and papain, but not by lysozyme, lipase, catalase, or beta-glucosidase. The inhibitory activity was stable at 100 degrees C for 30 min, and had a pH range from 2 to 10. The molecular weight of the partially purified bacteriocin(s) was approx. 4.5 kDa, according to tricine-sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing methods identified three different types of bacteriocins produced by Ent. faecium JCM 5804T, enterocin A, enterocin B, and enterocin P-like bacteriocin.


CONCLUSIONS
Enterococcus faecium JCM 5804T produced three different types of bacteriocins, and they inhibited LAB and pathogens.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first report of enterocin A, enterocin B, and enterocin P-like bacteriocin, detected in Ent. faecium JCM 5804T among LAB type and reference strains.
Park
S H
SH
Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
Itoh
K
K
Fujisawa
T
T
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001430:Bacteriocins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D001483:Base Sequence; D003470:Culture Media; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000187:drug effects; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D013696:Temperature
D001430:Bacteriocins; D003470:Culture Media