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Identification, characterization and purification of the lantibiotic staphylococcin T, a natural gallidermin variant
Author(s) -
Furmanek B.,
Kaczorowski T.,
Bugalski R.,
Bielawski K.,
Bogdanowicz J.,
Podhajska AnD. A. J.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.889
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2672
pISSN - 1364-5072
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2672.1999.00937.x
Subject(s) - lantibiotics , nucleoid , biochemistry , size exclusion chromatography , fast protein liquid chromatography , bacteria , bacteriocin , biology , antimicrobial peptides , bacterial cell structure , chemistry , peptide , antimicrobial , chromatography , microbiology and biotechnology , escherichia coli , gene , genetics , enzyme
B. FURMANEK, T. KACZOROWSKI, R. BUGALSKI, K. BIELAWSKI, J. BOGDANOWICZ and A.J. PODHAJSKA.1999.Staphylococcin T (StT), an antibacterial agent produced by a Staphylococcus cohnii T strain, was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulphate precipitation, gel filtration, cation exchange and fast performance liquid chromatography (FPLC). The final yield was about 20%, and over a 1000‐fold increase in the specific activity was obtained. Mass determination (2166 Da), amino acid sequencing (Ile‐Ala‐Xaa‐Lys‐Phe‐Leu‐Xaa‐Xaa‐Pro‐Gly‐Xaa‐Ala‐Lys‐block) and DNA sequencing demonstrated that StT is identical to gallidermin, a lanthionine‐containing antimicrobial peptide. StT has a broad spectrum of bactericidal activity against Gram‐positive and some Gram‐negative bacteria. StT appears to damage cell membrane, and as a result causes an efflux of ions and an immediate block in macromolecular synthesis. Moreover, electron microscopic observations reveal morphological changes, with a loss of ribosomes and condensation of the nucleoid DNA. These changes are followed by a dissolution of the cell contents resulting in a bacterial ghost composed of seemingly intact cell walls with remnants of the cytoplasmic membrane and internal structure. Since StT exhibits antimicrobial activity especially against the Staphylococcus species, this compound may be of use in the treatment of staphylococcal infections.