Sequencing and expression analysis of the sakacin P bacteriocin produced by a Lactobacillus sakei strain isolated from naturally fermented sausages

A Lactobacillus sakei strain, designated as I151 and isolated from naturally fermented sausages, was found to produce the sakacin P bacteriocin which is active against Listeria monocytogenes. In this study, we performed the sequencing of the gene cluster involved in the production of the sakacin P, and we followed the expression of the sppA gene, encoding for the bacteriocin, in vitro, using Rogosa–Sharpe medium, and in situ, inoculating the strain in fermented sausages as starter culture. The results obtained underlined the high similarity (>99%) of the entire sakacin P gene cluster from the L. sakei studied here with others present in strains of L. sakei already described. Moreover, from the expression experiments, it was shown that the gene is expressed during the exponential phase and that production procedures typical of fermented sausages are not turning off the expression of the gene encoding the bacteriocin. The capability of the strain studied to produce sakacin P during production is considered an advantage for its use as starter culture to improve the safety aspect of traditional fermented sausages produced in Italy.