Production and characterization of a bacteriocin from ruminal bacterium Ruminococcus albus 7

Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2012;76(1):34-41. doi: 10.1271/bbb.110348. Epub 2012 Jan 7.

Abstract

The characteristics of a bacteriocin from Ruminococcus albus 7 and its potential as an antibiotic alternative were examined in this study. The addition of 3 µM 3-phenylpropanoic acid (PPA) and 0.2% Tween 80 to the culturing medium improved bacteriocin production by 2.5-fold. Native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the antagonistically active gel filtration fraction established that the molecular weight of the R. albus 7 bacteriocin was approximately 36 kDa. The bacteriocin was sensitive to pepsin, protease, and pancreatin, and was inactivated by heating at 65 °C for 1 h. Simulating in vitro avian digestion decreased the antagonistic activity by 74.7%, but the addition of 1% bovin serum albumin restored 13% of the lost antagonistic activity. Following ion-exchange purification, the bacteriocin had sufficient antagonistic activity against five tested pathogenic strains, but the addition of a protectant is necessary for utilization of bacteriocin of R. albus 7 as an antibiotic alternative in animal feed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / biosynthesis*
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemistry
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / metabolism
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Bacteriocins / biosynthesis*
  • Bacteriocins / chemistry
  • Bacteriocins / metabolism
  • Bacteriocins / pharmacology*
  • Cattle
  • Kinetics
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Protein Stability
  • Proteolysis
  • Ruminococcus / metabolism*
  • Safety

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Bacteriocins