Characterization and mechanism of action of cerein 7, a bacteriocin produced by Bacillus cereus Bc7

• Published in: Journal of applied microbiology Vol. 89; no. 2; pp. 361 - 369
• Main Authors: Oscáriz, J.C., Pisabarro, A.G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01.08.2000; Blackwell Science; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Bacillus cereus; Bacillus cereus - growth & development; Bacillus cereus - metabolism; Bacteriocins - classification; Bacteriocins - isolation & purification; Bacteriocins - metabolism; Bacteriocins - pharmacology; Bacteriology; Bacteriolysis; Biological and medical sciences; cerein 7; Colony Count, Microbial; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gram-Positive Bacteria - drug effects; Gram-Positive Bacteria - growth & development; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Microbiology; Pathogenicity, virulence, toxins, bacteriocins, pyrogens, host-bacteria relations, miscellaneous strains; Bacillus cereus; Bacillales; Molecular weight determination; Bacteriocin; N terminal-Sequence; Bacteria; Activity spectrum; Bacillaceae; Mechanism of action; Antimicrobial agent; Aminoacid sequence
• ISSN: 1364-5072; 1365-2672
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2672.2000.01123.x

Cerein 7 is a peptidic antibiotic produced by Bacillus cereus Bc7 (CECT 5148) at the end of exponential growth but before sporulation onset. Cerein 7 has a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity against Gram‐positive bacteria, but it is inactive against Gram‐negative bacteria. The sequence of its amino‐terminal end and its characteristics of hydrophobicity and molecular mass make cerein 7 unique among the bacteriocins produced by the soil bacterium B. cereus. In this paper a further characterization of cerein 7 is presented, it is shown that it can be classified as a Klaenhammer's class II bacteriocin and that its mode of action corresponds to that of a membrane‐active compound.