Isolation and Characterization of a Bacteriocin from a Homofermentative Lactobacillus

Nearly 100 isolates of Lactobacillus were obtained from human and animal sources. Screening tests with the isolates revealed seven possible bacteriocinogenic strains and 26 strains sensitive to one or more of these inhibitory strains. Three homofermentative strains were selected for additional study after it was shown that their inhibitory substances differed in activity spectrum and in susceptibility to inactivation by proteolytic enzymes. One of these, L. helveticus strain LP27, was shown to produce a potent bacteriocin called lactocin 27. The lactocin was isolated from the culture supernatant fluid as a protein-lipopolysaccharide complex. In the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate the complex was dissociated, and the activity was found to reside in a small glycoprotein (molecular weight 12,400). The amino acid composition of purified lactocin 27 is similar to that of the L. fermenti bacteriocin; neither requires disulfide bonds for activity.