title: Purification and characterization of a new Bacillus thuringiensis bacteriocin active against Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus and Agrobacterium tumefaciens.
abstract: This study reports on the identification, characterization and purification of a new bacteriocin, named Bacthuricin F103, from a Bacillus thuringiensis strain BUPM103. Bacthuricin F103 production began in the early exponential phase and reached a maximum in the middle of the same phase. Two chromatographic methods based on high performance liquid chromatography and fast protein liquid chromatography systems were used to purify Bacthuricin F103. Sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that this bacteriocin had a molecular weight of approximately 11 kDa. It also showed a wide range of thermostability of up to 80 °C for 60 min and a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity over a pH range of 3.0-10.0. This bacteriocin was noted, and for the first time, to exhibit potent antimicrobial activity against Agrobacterium subsp. strains, the major causal agents of crown gall disease in tomato and vineyard crops, and against several challenging organisms in food, such as Listeria monocytogenes and Bacillus cereus. Complete killing with immediate impact on cells was observed within a short period of time. The sequence obtained for Bacthuricin F103 by direct N-terminal sequencing shared considerable homology with hemolysin. Bacthuricin F103 was noted to act through the depletion of intracellular ions, which suggest that the cell membrane was a possible target to Bacthuricin F103.
authors.affiliation: Biopesticides Team (LPIP), Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, P.O. Box '1177', 3018, Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Fakher
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kamoun
authors.forename: Ines Ben
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Fguira
authors.forename: Najeh Belguith Ben
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Hassen
authors.forename: Hafedh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mejdoub
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lereclus
authors.forename: Samir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jaoua
mesh_terms: D016960:Agrobacterium tumefaciens / Q000187:drug effects*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001409:Bacillus cereus / Q000187:drug effects*; D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis / Q000737:chemistry*; D001430:Bacteriocins / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001430:Bacteriocins