In vitro inhibition activity of nisin A, nisin Z, pediocin PA-1 and antibiotics against common intestinal bacteria

AIMS: To evaluate the sensitivity of 21 common intestinal bacteria to six antibiotics and three broad-spectrum bacteriocins (nisins Z and A and pediocin PA-1). METHODS AND RESULTS: Neutralized cell-free culture supernatants containing active bacteriocins, and antibiotics were tested with the agar diffusion test and the disc-diffusion method, respectively. The tested intestinal strains showed high sensitivity to most antibiotics except for streptomycin and oxacillin. Nisins A and Z (8 mug per well) had similar activity spectra and inhibited all Gram-positive intestinal bacteria at different levels (except Streptococcus salivarius), with bifidobacteria (except Bifidobacterium breve and Bif. catenulatum), Collinsella aerofaciens and Eubacterium biforme being the most sensitive strains, but they were not active against Gram-negative bacteria. Surprisingly, none of the tested strains were inhibited by pediocin PA-1 (16 mug per well). CONCLUSION: Pediocin PA-1 which is very active against Listeria spp. and other food pathogens did not inhibit major intestinal species in the human intestine in contrast to both nisins A and Z. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Our data suggest that pediocin PA-1 has potential to inhibit Listeria within the intestinal microbiota without altering commensal bacteria.     

Production,purification, sequencing and activity spectra of mutacins D-123.1 and F-59.1

Background  

The increase in bacterial resistance to antibiotics impels the development of new anti-bacterial substances. Mutacins (bacteriocins) are small antibacterial peptides produced by Streptococcus mutans showing activity against bacterial pathogens. The objective of the study was to produce and characterise additional mutacins in order to find new useful antibacterial substances.     

Preliminary characterization of four bacteriocins from Streptococcus mutans

The various properties of the inhibitory substances produced by Streptococcus mutans strains C67-1, Ny257-S, Ny266, and T8, and the fact that inhibitory zones produced could not be associated with lactic acid (or other organic acids), bacteriophages, or hydrogen peroxide indicate that these substances can be classified as mutacins. The substances produced by strains C67-1, Ny266, and T8 possessed similar properties. They were shown to be thermoresistant (100 degrees C, 30 min), low molecular weight (less than 3500) substances sensitive to proteolytic enzymes (chymotrypsin, papain, pronase E, proteinase K, and trypsin) and they were active against most of the Gram-positive bacteria tested but not against most of the Gram-negative bacteria. The substance produced by strain Ny257-S differs from the other three by its narrower activity spectrum, its lower thermoresistance (80 degrees C, 30 min), and its higher molecular weight (8,000-14,000). The gene or the genes coding for the mutacins are probably located on the chromosome since no plasmid DNA could be detected in these four producing strains. Restriction-fragment patterns of C67-1 and T8 suggest that these strains are closely related, as supported by the strong similarity observed between the properties of their mutacins.     

Reviews

The Flavonoids. Advances in Research since 1980. Ed. by J. B. H arborne .
Hungry crops : a guide to nutrient deficiencies in field crops By N. J. G rundon .
Microbial ecology: organisms, habitats, activities. By H einz S tolp .
Evolutionary Biology of the Fungi. Ed. by A. D. M. R ayner , C. M. B rasier and D. M oore .
Micro-algal Biotechnology . Edited by M.A. B orowitzka and L. J. B orowitzka and L. J. B orowitzka .
Experimental Phycology: A laboratory manual Edited by C hristopher S. L obban , D avid J. C hapman , and B runo P. K remer .
100 Families of Flowering Plants. By M. H ickey and C. K ing .
Differentiation Patterns in Higher Plants. Edited by K. M. U rbanska .
The Living Tundra. By Yu. I. C hernov , Translated by D. L öve .
North American Terrestrial Vegetation. Edited by M. G. B arbour & W. D. B illings .
Biogeography and Quaternary History in Tropical Latin America. By T. C. W hitmore and G. T. P rance (Editors).
Biogeographical Evolution of the Malay Archipelago . By T. C. W hitmore (Editor).
Postglacial Vegetation of Canada. By J. C. R ichie .     

Development of resistance against diketo derivatives of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 by progressive accumulation of integrase mutations

The diketo acid L-708,906 has been reported to be a selective inhibitor of the strand transfer step of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integration process (D. Hazuda, P. Felock, M. Witmer, A. Wolfe, K. Stillmock, J. A. Grobler, A. Espeseth, L. Gabryelski, W. Schleif, C. Blau, and M. D. Miller, Science 287:646-650, 2000). We have now studied the development of antiviral resistance to L-708,906 by growing HIV-1 strains in the presence of increasing concentrations of the compound. The mutations T66I, L74M, and S230R emerged successively in the integrase gene. The virus with three mutations (T66I L74M S230R) was 10-fold less susceptible to L-708,906, while displaying the sensitivity of the wild-type virus to inhibitors of the RT or PRO or viral entry process. Chimeric HIV-1 strains containing the mutant integrase genes displayed the same resistance profile as the in vitro-selected strains, corroborating the impact of the reported mutations on the resistance phenotype. Phenotypic cross-resistance to S-1360, a diketo analogue in clinical trials, was observed for all strains. Interestingly, the diketo acid-resistant strain remained fully sensitive to V-165, a novel integrase inhibitor (C. Pannecouque, W. Pluymers, B. Van Maele, V. Tetz, P. Cherepanov, E. De Clercq, M. Witvrouw, and Z. Debyser, Curr. Biol. 12:1169-1177, 2002). Antiviral resistance was also studied at the level of recombinant integrase. Single mutations did not appear to impair specific enzymatic activity. However, 3' processing and strand transfer activities of the recombinant integrases with two (T66I L74M) and three (T66I L74M S230R) mutations were notably lower than those of the wild-type integrase. Although the virus with three mutations was resistant to inhibition by diketo acids, the sensitivity of the corresponding enzyme to L-708,906 or S-1360 was reduced only two- to threefold. As to the replication kinetics of the selected strains, the replication fitness for all strains was lower than that of the wild-type HIV-1 strain.     

Book reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
B asic B iotechnology . A S tudent's G uide (1987). Edited by P. Prave, U. Faust, W. Sittig & D.A. Sukatsch.
B acteria AS P lant P athogens (1987). By Eve Billing.
B iotechnology. A C omprehensive T reatise I n 8 V olumes .
C urrent T opics I n M icrobiology A nd I mmunology 136: T he M olecular B iology O f B acterial V irus S ystems (1988). Edited by G. Hobom & R. Rott.
G enetic B iochemistry : F rom G ene T o P rotein (1988). By J. Etienne-Decant.
I ntracellular B acteria : C urrent T opics I n M icrobiology A nd I mmunology N o.
P roceedings O f T he 8TH I nternational B iotechnology S ymposium P aris 1988 (1989). Edited by G. Durand, L. Bobichon & J. Florent. Vol.
B iological W aste T reatment (1989). Edited by A. Mizrahi.
I n V itro T echniques I n R esearch (1989). Edited by J.W. Payne.
B loodstream I nfections : L aboratory D etection A nd C linical C onsiderations (1989). By C.L. Strand & J.A. Shulman.
M etal -M icrobe I nteraction (1989). Edited by Robert K. Poole & Geoffrey M. Gadd.
B iochemistry O f A ntimicrobial A ction (1989). By T.J. Franklin & G.A. Snow.
T heory A nd A pplication O f M icrobial A ssay (1989). By W. Hewitt & S. Vincent.     

Book reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
C oncepts in V iral P athogenesis III (1989). Edited by A.L. Notkins & M.B.A. Old-stone.
A C olour A tlas of M eat I nspection (1990). By J. Infante Gil & J. Costa Durao.
P romiscuous P lasmids of G ram -N egative B acteria (1989). Edited by Christopher M. Thomas.
S hort P rotocols in M olecular B iology (1989). Edited by F.M. Ausubel et al.
G enetics of B acterial D iversity (1989). Edited by D.A. Hopwood & K.F. Chater.
Y east G enetics . A M anual of M ethods (1989). By J.F.T. Spencer, D.M. Spencer & I.J. Burce.
M etals and M icro -O rganisms (1989). By M.N. Hughes & R.K. Poole.
S eed -B orne D isease and S eed H ealth T esting of R ice (1989). By P. C. Agarwal, C.N. Mortensen & S.B. Mathur.     

BUCHBESPRECHUNGEN

Book reviewed in this article:
E rben , H. K.: Die Entwicklung der Lebewesen. Spielregeln der Evolution. R einboth , R. (Ed.): Intersexuality in the Animal Kingdom.
The Sea Urchin Embryo. Biochemistry and Morphogenesis. Hrsg. von G. C zihak unter Mitwirkung von R. P eter . Vorwort von J. B rachet .
The Blood of Sheep. Composition and Function. Ed. by M. H. B lunt . With contributions by M. H. B lunt , R. I. C ox , C. C. C urtain , J. D. D argie , K. A. F erguson , P. H. H olmes , T. H. J. H uisman , W. M. F. L eat , D. B. L indsay , W. V. M acfarlane , E. W. M oodie and E. M. T ucker .
S tephan , H.: Allocortex. Handbuch der mikroskopischen Anatomie des Menschen. Begründet von W. v. M öllendorf , fortgeführt von W. B argmann . Bd. 4, Teil 9.     

Reviews

Book Reviewed in this article:
Fortschritte der Chemie organischer Naturstoffe: Progress in the Chemistry of Organic Natural Products , vol. 51. Founded by L. Z echmkister . Ed. by W. H erz , H. G risebach , G. W. K irby and C. T amm .
Immobilized Cells: Principles and Applications. By J. T ampion and M. D. T ampion .
Cell and Tissue Culture in Forestry, Volume 3. Case Histories: Gymnosperms, Angiosperms and Palms. Ed. by J. M. B onga and D. J. D urzan .
Anatomy of the Dicotyledons. Second Edition. Vol III. Magnoliales, Illiciales, and Law ales. By C. R. M etcalfe .
The Ecology of the Nitrogen Cycle. By J anet I. S prent .     

REVIEWS

Book reviewed in this article:
Nitrogen Fixation by Free-living Micro-organisms. Ed. by W. D. P. S tewart .
International Biological Programme. Volume 7: Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation in Plants. Ed. by P. S. N utman .
Gibberellins and Plant Growth. Ed. by H. M. K rishnamoorthy .
Cytodifferentiation in Plants. By L. W. R oberts .
Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology, New Series. Ed. by A. P irson and M. H. Z immerman .
Traité de Paléobotanique : Volume 4, fascicle 2: Pteridophylla (ist part). By E. B oureau and J. D oubinger .
Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands. Volume 5. Ed. by P. H. D avis , assisted by V. A. M atthews , F. K. K upicha & B. S. P arris .
Physiological Plant Ecology. By W. L archer . Translated from the German by M. A. B iederman -T horson .
The Biology of Eucalypts , By L. D. P ryor .
The Morphology of Pteridophytes. By K. R. S porne .
European Floristic and Taxonomic Studies, B.S.B.I. Conference Report No. 15. Ed. by S. M. W alters (with the assistance of C. J. K ing ).     

Book notices

INSECT AGING: STRATEGIES AND MECHANISMS. Edited by K.-G. Collatz and R. S. Sohal.
MECHANISMS IN INSECT OLFACTION. Edited by T. L. Payne, M. C. Birch and C.E.J. Kennedy.
A SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE ATLAS OFTHE HONEY BEE. Edited by Eric H. Erickson, Jr, Stanley D. Carlson and Martin B. Garment.
ECDYSONE FROM METABOLISM TO REGULATION OF GENE EXPRESSION.
THE GENETICS AND BIOLOGY OF DROSOPHILA vol. 2c. Edited by M. Ashburner. H. L. Carson and J. N. Thompson. Jr.
CASTE DIFERENTIATION IN SOCIAL INSECTS, Edited by J. A. L. Watson, B. M. Okot-Kother and Ch. Moirot.     

REVIEWS

Book reviewed in this article:
Flora Palaestina . By M. Z ohary and N. F einbrun -D othan . Vol. 1, by M ichael Z ohary .
Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie . By P aul M outerde
Tropical Plant Types . By B. G. M. J amieson and J. F. R eynolds .
The Biology of Fungi, Bacteria and Viruses . By G reta S tevenson .
The Biology of Aquatic Vascular Plants . By C. D. S culthorpe .
Handbuch der Pflanzenanatomie . Band VIII/I. Anatomie des Blattes 1. Blattanatomie der Gymnospermen . By K lans N app -Z inn .
The Lichen Symbiosis . By V ernon A hmadjiax .
Plant Anatomy . By A. F ahn , translated from the Hebrew by S ybil B roido -A ltman .
Gymnosperms—Structure and Evolution . By C. J. C hamberlain .
Structure and Reproduction of the Gymnosperms; Fossil and Living . By B. S. T rivedi and D. K. S ingh .
An Introduction to Gvmnosperms . By S. C. D atta .
Sourcebook of Laboratory Exercises in Plant Pathology . Ed. by the Sourcebook Committee of the American Phytopathological Society (Chairman, A. K elman ).
Diffusion Systems . By M. H. J acobs .     

Book Notes

The Systems of Land Tenure in the Kikuyu Land Unit . H. E. L ambert
Hawaiian Antiquities (Moolelo Hawaii ). D avid M alo
Navaho Means People . L eonard M c C ombe , E von Z. V ogt , and C lyde K luckhohn
Paradox and Nirvana . R obert L awson S later
The North American Buffalo. A Critical Study of the Species in Its Wild State . F rank G ilbert R oe
The Wulfing Plates: Products of Prehistoric Americans . V irginia D rew W atson
The Medora Site. West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana . G eorge I. Q uimby
The Crable Site, Fulton County, Illinois. A Late Prehistoric Site in the Central Illinois Valley . H ale G illiam S mith
Archaeology of the Columbia-Fraser Region . M arian W. S mith
Cattle Point: A Stratified Site in the Southern Northwest Coast Region . A rden R. K ing
Hyperbrachycephaly as Influenced by Cultural Conditioning . J. F ranklin E wing
Surgery of the Shoulder . A. F. D e P alma
The Mark of Oppression, A Psychological Study of the American Negro . A bram K ardiner and L ionel O vesey
Race Relations: The Interaction of Ethnic Groups . B rewton B erry
The Sociology of Georg Simmel . Translated, edited, and with an introduction by K urt H. W olff
Social Behavior and Personality: Contributions of W. I. Thomas to Theory and Social Research . Edited by E dmund H. V olkart
Handbook of Latin American Studies : 1948, No. 14. F rancisco A guilera , ed
Area Studies in American Universities . W endell C. B ennett     

Detection of Shiga-like toxin on the outer membranes of Shigella species and Escherichia coli K-12

Abstract Outer membranes of Shigella species and E. coli K-12 carrying large invasive plasmids and isogenic non-invasive strains without plasmids were analyzed by SDS-PAGE. The immunoblotting analysis of the outer membrane proteins of these bacteria was performed with monoclonal antibody (mAb) made against A and B subunits of Shiga-like toxin (SLT). The SLT was detected in the outer membranes of S. dysenteriae 1 IDBM11, S. sonnei PNS20, S. flexneri M90T, S. dysenteriae 60R, and E. coli K-12 strain AB2463. The two other E. coli K-12 strains, C600 and 933J were included as controls for low and high toxin producers respectively. The outer membrane protein band of molecular weight 70 kDa was common to all bacterial strains studied. The most prominent band of 70 kDa protein was seen to be present in the high toxin producing plasmidless strain of S. dysenteriae 60R and the lysogenic strain of E. coli 933J. The invasive strains of S. dysenteriae 1 and S. flexneri M90T which carry the large invasive plasmids showed the least prominent band of 70 kDa protein.
The immunoblotting analysis of Shiga-toxin partially purified from the S. dysenteriae 60R strain revealed the absence of 70 kDa band on SDS-PAGE, instead the two dissociated subunits were seen. Furthermore, periplasmic Shiga-toxin proteins also showed the complete dissociation into A and B subunits. However, under the same denaturing conditions, the 70 kDa protein band cross-reacting with mAb against A and B subunits was still present in the outer membranes of all different strains.     

REVIEWS

Plant Communities of the Scottish Highlands. A Study of Scottish Mountain, Moorland and Forest Vegetation . (Monographs of the Nature Conservancy, No. 1.) By D onald McV ean and D erek A. R atcliffe .
* L unde , T. (1962). An investigation into the pH-amplitudes of some mountain plants in the county of Trorns. Acta borealia. A: Scientia , Nr. 20.
Physiology and Biochemistry of Algae . Edited by R alph A. L ewin .
Fungal Genetics . By J. R. S. F incham and P. R. D ay .
The Young Botanist . By C. T. P rime .
Organization in Plants . By W. M. M. B aron .
Chromosome Marker . By K. R. L ewis and B. J ohn .
Symbiotic Associations . Thirteenth Symposium of the Society for General Microbiology. Edited by P. S. N utman and B arbara M osse .
The Developmental Anatomy of Isoetes. By D ominick J. P aolillo , Jr.
Cucurbits: Botany, Cultivation and Utilization . By T homas W. W hitaker and G len N. D avis .
Common Malayan Plants . By H. B. Gilliland.
Sierra Nevada Natural History . By T racey L. S torer and R obert R. U singer .
Croissance et Développement des Plantes . By L ucie K ofler .
Modern Methods of Plant Analysis , vol. VI. Founded by K. P aech and M. V. T racey , continued by H. F. L inskens and M. V. T racey in co-operation with B. D. S anwal .
Enzyme Chemistry of Phenolic Compounds . Edited by J. B. P ridham .     

Reviews of publications

Book reviewed in this article:
Biogeography. An Ecological and Evolutionary Approach , 5th Ed., by C. B. Cox and P. D. Moore.
Classification, Evolution and the Nature of Biology , by A. L. Panchen.
Biodiversity of the Southeastern United States Aquatic Communities , edited by C. T. Hackney, S. M. Adams and W. H. Martin.
Bryophytes and Lichens in a Changing Environment , edited by J. W. Bates and A. M. Farmer.
Atlas of Paleoclimates and Paleoenvironments of the Northern Hemisphere, Late Pleistocene—Holocene , edited by B. Frenzel, M. Pecsi and A. A. Velicho.
Cladistics. A Practical Course in Systematics. The Systematics Association Publication Mo. 10. , by P. L. Forey, C. J. Humphries, I. J. Kitching, R. W. Scotland, D. J. Siebert and D. M. Williams.
Life, The Science of Biology. 3rd Ed. by W. K. Purves, G. H. Orians and H. C. Heller.
The Proterozoic Biosphere. A Multidisciplinary Study , edited by J. W. Schopf and C. Klein.     

Book reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
E lectrochemical D etection T echniques I n T he A pplied B iosciences Volume 2 (1988). By G-A. Junter
P lant R esistance T o V iruses (1987). Edited by D. Evered & S. Harnett
M icrobial R econtamination I n D airy P rocessing –P roceedings O f T he I nternational C ongress.
D evelopments I n F ood M icrobiology –4 (1988). Edited by R.K. Robinson.
C ellulose H ydrolysis (1987). Edited by L. T. Fan, M.M. Gharpuray & Y.-H. Lee
I mmobilization O f C ells (1988). By C.R. Phillips & Y.C. Poon
C rystalline B acterial C ell S urface L ayers (1988). Edited by U.B. Sleytr, P. Messner, D. Pum & M. Sara     

Book Reviews

Books reviewed in this article:
INORGANIC PLANT NUTRITION. Edited by A. L äuchli & R. L. B ieleski
HANDBOOK OF PLANT CELL CULTURE. VOL. I. TECHNIQUES FOR PROPAGATION AND BREEDING. Edited by D. A. E vans , W. R. S harp , P. V. A mmirato & Y. Y amada
TECHNIQUES IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY. Edited by J. M. W alker & W. G aastra
THE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF GIBBERELLINS, VOLS I AND II. Edited by A lan C rozier
AZOSPIRILLUM II. Edited by W. K lingmuller
MATHEMATICAL MODELS IN AGRICULTURE. By J. F rance & J. H. M. T hornley
GENETIC ENGINEERING: APPLICATIONS TO AGRICULTURE. Edited by L. O wens
ALGAL SYMBIOSIS. Edited by L ynda J. G off     

Identification and characteristics of nisin Z-producing Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis isolated from Kimchi

We isolated bacteriocin-producing Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis from Kimchi. The bacteriocin inhibited strains of Clostridium perfringens, C. difficile, Listeria monocytogenes, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, and one out of four methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains, as well as some closely related lactic acid bacteria. In tricine-SDS-PAGE, the bacteriocin migrated with an apparent molecular weight of about 4 kDa to the same location as nisin A and crude nisin Z. The gene encoding this bacteriocin was found to be identical to that of nisin Z with direct PCR sequence methods. The inhibitory activity was stable against heat and pH, but it was lost at 100 degrees C for 1 h and at 121 degrees C for 15 min. The bacteriocin was inactivated by proteolytic enzymes, but was not affected by lysozyme, lipase, catalase, or beta-glucosidase. There were some differences in characteristics from those of nisins described previously.