title: Prodigiosin Induces Autolysins in Actively Grown Bacillus subtilis Cells.
abstract: Prodigiosin produced by marine bacterium Vibrio ruber DSM 14379 exhibits a potent antimicrobial activity against a broad range of Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. The mechanism of prodigiosin antimicrobial action, however, is not known. In this work, the effect of prodigiosin on Bacillus subtilis growth, cell membrane leakage, and induction of autolysins was studied. Treating B. subtilis with prodigiosin resulted in rapid decline of optical density and increased cell membrane leakage measured by β-galactosidase activity. Cell lysis was initiated immediately after treatment with prodigiosin in the middle exponential phase and was completed within 2 h. Lytic activity of prodigiosin in mutant strains with impaired autolysin genes lytABCD decreased for 80% compared to the wild type strain, while in lytABCDEF mutant strain prodigiosin had no bacteriolytic but only bacteriostatic effect. Fast prodigiosin lytic activity on individual B. subtilis cells was confirmed by a modified comet assay. The results indicate that prodigiosin autolysin induction in B. subtilis is growth phase dependent.
authors: Chair of Microbiology, Department of Food Science and Technology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors: Tjaša
authors: T
authors: Danevčič
authors: Chair of Microbiology, Department of Food Science and Technology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors: Maja
authors: M
authors: Borić Vezjak
authors: Chair of Microbiology, Department of Food Science and Technology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors: Maja
authors: M
authors: Tabor
authors: Chair of Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology, Department of Animal Science, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors: Maša
authors: M
authors: Zorec
authors: Chair of Microbiology, Department of Food Science and Technology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Stopar
keywords: Bacillus subtilis; antimicrobial; autolysin; autolysis; comet assay; lytic rate; mechanism; prodigiosin