Activity of staphylococcal bacteriocins against Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae involved in bovine mastitis.
The inhibitory activity of seven bacteriocins produced by Staphylococcus aureus (aureocins A70, A53, and 215FN) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (Pep5, epidermin, epilancin K7 and epicidin 280) was tested against strains of both S. aureus (165 strains) and Streptococcus agalactiae (74 strains) isolated from udders of cows suffering from bovine mastitis. Most strains of the two species were inhibited by epidermin (>85%), aureocin A53 (>67%) and by a combination of aureocins A70 and A53 (>91%), co-expressed in the genetic background of strain A70, the native producer of aureocin A70. Synergy between aureocins A70 and A53 was also demonstrated, which broadened the spectrum of strains inhibited. The remaining staphylococcins inhibited either none of, or a lower percentage (<48%) of, the mastitis-causing pathogens tested. Our results therefore show that the use of epidermin and/or a combination of aureocins A53 and A70 may represent a new non-antibiotic alternative for successfully inhibiting both mastitic staphylococci and streptococci.
Varella Coelho
Marcus Lívio
ML
Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia Prof. Paulo de Góes, UFRJ, CCS, Bloco I, Cidade Universitária, 21941-590 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Santos Nascimento
Janaína Dos
JD
Fagundes
Patrícia Carlin
PC
Madureira
Danielle Jannuzzi
DJ
Oliveira
Selma Soares de
SS
Vasconcelos de Paiva Brito
Maria Aparecida
MA
Freire Bastos
Maria do Carmo de
Mdo C
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D001430:Bacteriocins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002417:Cattle; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005260:Female; D008414:Mastitis, Bovine / Q000382:microbiology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000378:metabolism; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001430:Bacteriocins