title: Comparison of the activities of the lantibiotics nisin and lacticin 3147 against clinically significant mycobacteria.
abstract: The aim of this study was to use the microtitre alamarBlue assay to investigate and compare the antimycobacterial potential of the lantibiotics nisin and lacticin 3147 against a representative cohort of clinically significant mycobacteria, i.e. Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra, Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) ATCC 19698 and Mycobacterium kansasii CIT11/06. Lacticin 3147 displayed potent activity against all strains of mycobacteria, with MIC(90) values (lowest concentration of lantibiotic that prevented growth of >90% of the bacterial population) of 60 mg/L and 15 mg/L for M. kansasii and MAP, respectively. Lacticin 3147 was particularly effective against M. tuberculosis H37Ra, with a MIC(90) value of 7.5mg/L. Nisin, although inhibitory, was generally less potent against all strains of mycobacteria, with MIC(90) values of 60 mg/L for M. kansasii and >60 mg/L for MAP and M. tuberculosis H37Ra. Thus, lacticin 3147 is a potent antimycobacterial peptide that shows superior activity compared with nisin at physiological pH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Cork Institute of Technology, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.forename: Lorraine A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Draper
authors.forename: Paula M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: Aidan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coffey
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: R Paul
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Cotter
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: O'Mahony
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001430:Bacteriocins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D016927:Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D019909:Mycobacterium kansasii / Q000187:drug effects*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D009561:Nisin / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001430:Bacteriocins; C082508:lacticin 481; D009561:Nisin