Uma bacteriocina produzida por uma cepa de Lactobacillus sake 2a, isolada de lingüiça frescal comercial foi purificada, caracterizada e seu modo de ação foi estudado com o objetivo de ser utilizada como bioconservante em alimentos. A bacteriocina apresentou efeito bactericida contra Listeria monocytogenes em meio de cultura. Algumas cepas como Listeria welshimeri, Listeria seeligeri e Listeria inócua foram sensíveis, mas Staphylococcus aureus e Escherichia coli O157H7 foram resistentes a esta bacteriocina. O melhor meio de cultura para a sua produção foi o meio MRS à 25 ou 30°C durante a fase logarítmica de crescimento, obtendo-se 450 UA/ml de bacteriocina. Observou-se estabilidade a 121° C por 15 minutos. A bacteriocina foi purificada 71186 vezes pela técnica de adsorção/desorção de proteínas seguida de cromatografia de troca iônica Mono S, com rendimento de 3%. O peso molecular estimado foi de 3 a 6 kDa, determinado por eletroforese em gel de poliacrilamida-tricina. Nos estudos do mecanismo de ação, a bacteriocina dissipou o potencial de membrana, o gradiente de pH e reduziu de 80% os níveis de ATP intracelular não alterando os níveis de ATP extracelular. Bacteriocina 2a, nas concentrações de 28, 60 e 114 UA/ml, também causou efluxo de 3, 30 e 100% de carboxifluoresceina dos lipossomos construídos com lipídios de membrana de Listeria monocytogenes Scott A, respectivamente. Os resultados indicam que a bacteriocina 2a atua formando poros na membrana citoplasmática de células sensíveis não necessitando de um receptor específico. Conclui-se também que a bacteriocina é um bioconservante em potencial, podendo ser usada no controle de Listeria monocytogenes em alimentos. / Bacteriocin 2a produced by Lactobacillus sake 2a isolated from a Brazilian meat product (lingüiça) was purified, characterized and its mecanism of action was studied. The bacteriocin 2a showed bactericidal effect against Listeria monocytogens, Listeria welshimeri, Listeria seeligeri and Listeria inocua but it did not have an effect against Staphylococcus aureus e Escherichia coli O157H7 strains. The highest concentration of bacteriocin 2a (450 AU/ml) was found in MRS medium incubated at 25 or 30°C and its production was at its maximum towards logaritmic growth. It was stable at 121° C for 15 minutes. Bacteriocin 2a was purified 71186 fold by salt extraction from Lactobacillus sake cells, followed by cation exchange chromatography using Mono S column. It has an estimated molecular mass of 3-6kDa. In mechanistic studies of action against Listeria monocytogenes Scott A, bacteriocin 2a dissipated the pH gradient, the ΔΨ and reduced the ATP internal concentration by 80% with no detectable increase in the external ATP concentration. Bacteriocin 2a concentration of 28, 60 and 114 AU/ml, also mediated carboxyfluorescein efflux of 3, 30 and 100% from liposomes made from lipids extracted from Listeria monocytogenes Scott A, respectively. These data indicate that bacteriocin 2a forms pores in the citoplasmatic membrane of target cells similarly Class II bacteriocins. In addiction it can be use as a potential anti-microbial against Listeria monocytogenes in food.

Les antibiotiques sont des médicaments qui ont changé notre manière d’aborder les infections bactériennes et sont devenus l’un des symboles de la médecine moderne. Cependant leur utilisation massive a conduit à l'émergence de souches bactériennes multirésistantes. Ce problème est sans aucun doute un des grands défis que la médecine actuelle doit relever. Sachant que les bactéries évoluent à un rythme plus rapide que la production de nouveaux antibiotiques, il est urgent de trouver des approches alternatives. Il a été mis en évidence que ces mêmes bactéries sont capables de sécréter différents peptides antimicrobiens, ou bactériocines. Ces macromolécules présentent une grande diversité structurale et sont très efficaces pour combattre un grand nombre de souches pathogènes de façon spécifique. Les bactériocines ont un immense potentiel dans les domaines agroalimentaire et pharmaceutique. Notre projet s’intéresse aux bactériocines RumCs produites par une souche dérivée de Ruminococcus gnavus, une bactérie anaérobie stricte, membre dominant du microbiote intestinal humain. Le travail présenté dans ce manuscrit concerne la mise au point d’un système d’expression et de maturation hétérologue chez E. coli de la bactériocine RumC1. La caractérisation biochimique du peptide RumC1 montre que les bactériocines RumCs appartiennent à la famille des sactipeptides pour laquelle l’étape de biosynthèse fait intervenir une enzyme radical-SAM. Les sactipeptides présentent dans leurs séquences peptidiques un ou plusieurs ponts thioéther entre une cystéine et le carbone alpha d’un acide aminé partenaire. RumC1 renferme 4 ponts thioéther ce qui lui confère une structure originale en double épingle à cheveux. L’activité biologique de RumC1 montre que ce peptide est efficace contre un large spectre de bactéries à Gram positif incluant des pathogènes résistants tels que S.aureus et E. faecalis. Dans ces études nous n’avons pas noté de toxicité significative de RumC1 sur différentes lignées cellulaires humaine ni observé de phénomène de résistance. Les travaux en cours visent notamment à définir le mode d’action de RumC1 et à évaluer l’activité biologique de RumC1 dans un contexte d’infection in vivo chez la souris. / Antibiotics are drugs that have changed the way we approach bacterial infections and have become one of the symbols of modern medicine. However, their widespread use has led to the emergence of multiresistant bacterial strains. This problem is undoubtedly one of the major challenges facing today's medicine. Knowing that bacteria evolve at a faster rate than the discovery of new antibiotics, it is urgent to find alternative approaches. It has been shown that these same bacteria are capable of secreting antimicrobial peptides, the bacteriocins. These macromolecules have a high structural diversity and are very effective in combating a large number of pathogenic strains in a specific way. Bacteriocins have immense potential in the agro-food and pharmaceutical sectors. Our project focuses on the bacteriocins RumCs produced by a strain derived from Ruminococcus gnavus, a strict anaerobic bacterium of the human intestinal microbiota. The work presented in this manuscript concerns the development of a heterologous expression and maturation system in E. coli of the bacteriocin RumC1. The biochemical characterization of the RumC1 peptide shows that the RumCs bacteriocins belong to the family of sactipeptides for which the biosynthesis step involves a radical-SAM enzyme. The sactipeptides have in their peptide sequences one or more thioether bridges between a cysteine and the alpha carbon of a partner amino acid. RumC1 contains 4 thioether bridges which gives it an original structure in double hairpin. The biological activity of RumC1 shows that this peptide is effective against a broad spectrum of Gram-positive bacteria including resistant pathogens such as S.aureus and E. faecalis. In these studies, we did not note any significant toxicity of RumC1 on different human cell lines nor observed resistance phenomena. Current work aims to define the mode of action of RumC1 and to evaluate the biological activity of RumC1 in an in vivo context of infection in mice.

No description available.

No description available.

Seafood permits the transmission of many bacterial pathogens. In order to reconcile consumer demands with important safety standards, traditional means of regulating microbial spoilage and safety hazards in foods are combined with novel technologies. These include biological antimicrobial systems, such as the use of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and/or their bacteriocins, such as Carnobacterium maltaromaticum CS526 and its bacteriocin piscicocin CS526. The aims of this study were to investigate the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in temperate seafood, namely fresh and smoked salmon, fresh and smoked haddock, and fresh mussels and oysters. Additionally, there was an aim to recover, characterise and use bacteriocin-like-substance to control Listeria monocytogenes in cold smoked haddock. Vibrio spp., Enterobacteriaceae representatives, total aerobic heterotrophic counts and Listeria monocytogenes were isolated from commercially prepared smoked and fresh Atlantic salmon, smoked and fresh haddock, live mussels and oysters using selective media and tryptone soya agar (TSA). Vibrio spp. occurred in high densities (>106 CFU gˉ1) in mussels and Enterobacteriaceae representatives were recorded at >106 CFU gˉ1 in fresh salmon. Total aerobic heterotrophic counts in fresh salmon, live mussels and oysters reached 107, > 107, and > 106 CFU gˉ1, respectively. Listeria monocytogenes was recorded at 5.0 x 104 CFU gˉ1 in mussels. In total sixty one bacterial isolates were recovered from the seafood examined. The results revealed 19 genera of bacteria, i.e. Acinetobacter, Aerococcus, Aeromonas, Bacillus, Brochothrix, Carnobacterium, Citrobacter, Corynebacterium, Enterobacter, Escherichia coli, Moraxella, Micrococcus, Pseudomonas, Psychrobacter, Serratia, Shewanella, Staphylococcus, Vibrio and Listeria. The prominent characteristics of fish spoilage isolates were demonstrated by the ability of the isolates to reduce trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) to trimethylamine, and to produce H₂S. Sh. baltica OS185, Aeromonas spp. HB-6, Sh. baltica, Sh. putrefaciens, A. hydrophila HX201006-3, A. salmonicida subsp. achromogenes, A. hydrophila, C. freundii, Enterobacter cloacae were strong producers of TMA and H₂S. The spoilage microorganisms were tested for potential pathogenicity. The result revealed that 6/15 of the spoilage microorganisms produced proteolytic, lecithinase, blood (β and α haemolysin) and elastinase activity, respectively, whereas 7/15 of the spoilage microorganisms showed lipolytic activity. Cell free supernatants, ammonium sulphate precipitated supernatants and semi-purified bacteriocin-like substances of Carnobacterium maltaromaticum MMF-32 and KOPRI 25789 producing strains isolated from commercially prepared smoked salmon were investigated for their potential antimicrobial activity against potentially pathogenic and food spoilage microorganisms. Generally, a broad spectrum of activity was revealed against potentially pathogenic and food spoilage microorganisms in vitro. Cold-smoked haddock treated with bacteriocin producing C. maltaromaticum MMF-32, C. piscicola A9b bacˉ phenotype nonbacteriocin producing strain a mutant of C. piscicola A9b bac+, cell free supernatants, ammonium sulphate precipitated supernatants and semi-purified bacteriocin-like substances was challenged with L. monocytogenes ATCC 19114 up to 103 CFU gˉ1, respectively. Samples were stored at 4 °C for 10 days. L. monocytogenes and total bacterial counts were determined along with changes in total volatile base nitrogen (TVBN) and biogenic amines production as well as texture, colour and odour. Although the study on anti-listerial effects of C. maltaromaticum MMF-32 was not successful, this organism did have a positive effect on retention of firmness and sensory perception in cold smoked haddock.