title: An antibacterial and antiviral peptide produced by Enterococcus mundtii ST4V isolated from soya beans.
abstract: Enterococcus mundtii ST4V, isolated from soya beans, produces a 3950Da antibacterial peptide active against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus. The peptide also inactivated the herpes simplex viruses HSV-1 (strain F) and HSV-2 (strain G), a polio virus (PV3, strain Sabin) and a measles virus (strain MV/BRAZIL/001/91, an attenuated strain of MV). MV, HSV-1 and HSV-2 were 95.5%-99.9% inactivated by peptide ST4V at 400 microg/ml. Monkey kidney Vero cells were not inactivated, even at four times the level peptide ST4V displayed antiviral activity, indicating that the effect was not due to cytotoxicity. Complete inactivation or significant reduction in antimicrobial activity was observed after treatment of peptide ST4V with Proteinase K, pronase, pepsin and trypsin. No change in antimicrobial activity was recorded after treatment with alpha-amylase, suggesting that peptide ST4V was not glycosylated. This is the first description of an antibacterial and antiviral peptide with such broad-spectrum of activity, produced by a lactic acid bacterium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, 7600 Stellenbosch, South Africa.
authors.forename: Svetoslav D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Todorov
authors.forename: Mónica B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Wachsman
authors.forename: Hendriëtte
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Knoetze
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meincken
authors.forename: Leon M T
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Dicks
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D013025:Glycine max / Q000382:microbiology; D014709:Vero Cells; D038301:Virus Inactivation; D014780:Viruses / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases