title: Bacteriocin-like substance inhibits potato soft rot caused by Erwinia carotovora.
abstract: Soft rot is a major problem encountered in potatoes during postharvest storage. The soft rot bacterium Erwinia carotovora was inhibited by a novel bacteriocin-like substance (BLS) produced by Bacillus licheniformis P40. The BLS caused a bactericidal effect on E. carotovora cells at 30 microg mL(-1). Transmission electron microscopy showed that BLS-treated cells presented wrinkled bacterial surfaces and shrinkage of the whole cell, indicating plasmolysis. Erwinia carotovora cells treated with BLS were analyzed by FTIR showing differences in the 1390 cm(-1) and 1250-1220 cm(-1) bands, corresponding to assignments of membrane lipids. BLS was effective in preventing E. carotovora spoilage on potato tubers, reducing the symptoms of soft rot at 240 microg mL(-1) and higher concentrations. Soft rot development was completely blocked at 3.7 mg mL(-1). This BLS showed potential to protect potato tubers during storage.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Bioquímica e Microbiologia Aplicada, Departamento de Ciência de Alimentos, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Florencia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cladera-Olivera
authors.forename: Geruza R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Caron
authors.forename: Amanda S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Motta
authors.forename: André A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Souto
authors.forename: Adriano
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brandelli
mesh_terms: D001407:Bacillus / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001430:Bacteriocins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007700:Kinetics; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D016973:Pectobacterium carotovorum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D035281:Plant Tubers / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001430:Bacteriocins