Applied and Environmental Microbiology, January 2005, p. 554-557, Vol. 71, No. 1
Purification and Characterization of a Novel Class IIa Bacteriocin, Piscicocin CS526, from Surimi-Associated Carnobacterium piscicola CS526
Koji Yamazaki, Minako Suzuki, Yuji Kawai, Norio Inoue, and Thomas J. Montville
The big picture:
Finding novel antibiotics that are natural products from actinomycetes, fungi, plants and animals is part of a big business. However, there is a huge untapped resevoir of natural products from other bacteria. This paper fits into the pattern of publishing the discovery and initial characterization of such a molecule. It is hard work, not necessarily intellectually prestigious, especially since such discoveries rarely contribute to a new drug directly.
This particular bacteria, Carnobacterium, is often found growing on meat (carno = meat). In this case, the bacteria has been found producing something that inhibits a nasty pathogen - the pathogen that causes people to be nervous about raw milk cheeses, smoked salmon, and other products - Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria is rarely a problem except in infants, the elderly and the immunocompromised. It often leads to miscarriages. However, heavy contamination can be an issue. It is a very hardy gram + organism resistant to heat, drying, freezing, etc - and it can cause meningitis, septicemia, etc. Food processors would love safe, simple ways to eradicate it without changing the flavor of the food excessively. This is why this antibiotic is industrially significant, to be used in food processing.
The Carnobacteria was isolated from fake crab meat - sirimi. The studies on the bactriocin (antibiotic) focused on features important to food processors. Thermal stablility, for example. pH range of effectiveness, target bacteria, and so on were characterized.
Things got more interesting when Edman degredation was used to figure out the primary structure (amino acid sequence) of the protein. Previous bacteriocin antibiotics effective against Listeria had a conserved sequence from which this particular one deviates. As a result, the hypothesis that the particular conserved sequence was necessary must be discarded. This seems like a relatively minor point, but when using consensus sequences to scan genomes during gene identification, or when trying to design a synthetic version based on an understanding of the diverse natural antibiotics, it can be crucial.
So, it is an interesting little paper, more biochemistry than usual for this blog.
Purification and Characterization of a Novel Class IIa Bacteriocin, Piscicocin CS526, from Surimi-Associated Carnobacterium piscicola CS526
Koji Yamazaki, Minako Suzuki, Yuji Kawai, Norio Inoue, and Thomas J. Montville
The big picture:
Finding novel antibiotics that are natural products from actinomycetes, fungi, plants and animals is part of a big business. However, there is a huge untapped resevoir of natural products from other bacteria. This paper fits into the pattern of publishing the discovery and initial characterization of such a molecule. It is hard work, not necessarily intellectually prestigious, especially since such discoveries rarely contribute to a new drug directly.
This particular bacteria, Carnobacterium, is often found growing on meat (carno = meat). In this case, the bacteria has been found producing something that inhibits a nasty pathogen - the pathogen that causes people to be nervous about raw milk cheeses, smoked salmon, and other products - Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria is rarely a problem except in infants, the elderly and the immunocompromised. It often leads to miscarriages. However, heavy contamination can be an issue. It is a very hardy gram + organism resistant to heat, drying, freezing, etc - and it can cause meningitis, septicemia, etc. Food processors would love safe, simple ways to eradicate it without changing the flavor of the food excessively. This is why this antibiotic is industrially significant, to be used in food processing.
The Carnobacteria was isolated from fake crab meat - sirimi. The studies on the bactriocin (antibiotic) focused on features important to food processors. Thermal stablility, for example. pH range of effectiveness, target bacteria, and so on were characterized.
Things got more interesting when Edman degredation was used to figure out the primary structure (amino acid sequence) of the protein. Previous bacteriocin antibiotics effective against Listeria had a conserved sequence from which this particular one deviates. As a result, the hypothesis that the particular conserved sequence was necessary must be discarded. This seems like a relatively minor point, but when using consensus sequences to scan genomes during gene identification, or when trying to design a synthetic version based on an understanding of the diverse natural antibiotics, it can be crucial.
So, it is an interesting little paper, more biochemistry than usual for this blog.
posted by BenK at 9:22 AM
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