title: Identification of bacteriocin genes in enterococci isolated from game animals and saltwater fish.
abstract: Bacteriocins produced by enterococci, referred to as enterocins, possess great interest for their potential use as biopreservatives in food and feed, as well as alternative antimicrobials in humans and animals. In this context, the aim of the present study was to determine the antimicrobial activity and the presence of bacteriocin structural genes in fecal enterococcal isolates from animal origins. Evaluation of the direct antimicrobial activity of 253 isolates from wild boars (Sus scrofa, n = 69), mullets (Liza ramada, n = 117), and partridges (Perdix perdix, n = 67) against eight indicator bacterial strains (including Listeria monocytogenes, Pediococcus pentosaceus, and Enterococcus spp.) showed that 177 (70%) exerted antimicrobial activity against at least one indicator microorganism. From these isolates, 123 were further selected on the basis of their inhibition group, and 81 were found to be producers of bacteriocins active against Listeria monocytogenes. Analysis of the presence of enterocin structural genes in a subset of 36 isolates showed that 70% harbored one or more of the evaluated genes, those of enterocin P and hiracin JM79 being the most prevalent. These results show that wild animals constitute an appropriate source for the isolation of bacteriocinogenic enterococci.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Veterinary Science Department, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal.
authors.forename: Tereza
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: Andreia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brandão
authors.forename: Estefanía
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Atienza
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Igrejas
authors.forename: Pablo E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Herranz
authors.forename: Luis M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Cintas
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Poeta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology; D001430:Bacteriocins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000378:metabolism*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000187:drug effects; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests
chemical_list: D001430:Bacteriocins