J. Bacteriol., Apr 1996, 2232-2237, Vol 178, No. 8
Copyright © 1996, American Society for Microbiology

Induction of bacteriocin production in Lactobacillus sake by a secreted peptide

VG Eijsink, MB Brurberg, PH Middelhoven and IF Nes
Laboratory of Microbial Gene Technology, Department of Biotechnological Sciences, Agricultural University of Norway, As.

Lactobacillus sake LTH673 is known to produce a bacteriocin called sakacin P. Production of and immunity to sakacin P were found to depend on the presence of a protease-sensitive component that is produced by L. sake LTH673 itself. This component (called inducing factor [IF]) was purified from culture supernatants and shown to be a basic, nonbacteriocin peptide consisting of 19 amino acids, which in principle is capable of forming a highly amphiphilic helical structure. Circular dichroism studies showed that IF indeed could adopt a helical structure, but only in membrane-mimicking environments. Both purified IF and chemically synthesized IF induced expression of the structural gene for sakacin P and concomitant secretion of the gene product. In addition, IF induced its own production and immunity to sakacin P and related bacteriocins. These results indicate that bacteriocin production by L. sake LTH673 is controlled by an autoinduction pathway in which IF may function as a cell density signal.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• van Belkum, M. J., Derksen, D. J., Franz, C. M. A. P., Vederas, J. C. (2007). Structure function relationship of inducer peptide pheromones involved in bacteriocin production in Carnobacterium maltaromaticum and Enterococcus faecium. Microbiology 153: 3660-3666 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Fontaine, L., Boutry, C., Guedon, E., Guillot, A., Ibrahim, M., Grossiord, B., Hols, P. (2007). Quorum-Sensing Regulation of the Production of Blp Bacteriocins in Streptococcus thermophilus. J. Bacteriol. 189: 7195-7205 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Van Reenen, C. A., Van Zyl, W. H., Dicks, L. M. T. (2006). Expression of the Immunity Protein of Plantaricin 423, Produced by Lactobacillus plantarum 423, and Analysis of the Plasmid Encoding the Bacteriocin. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 7644-7651 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Zhang, L., Lin, J., Ji, G. (2004). Membrane Anchoring of the AgrD N-terminal Amphipathic Region Is Required for Its Processing to Produce a Quorum-sensing Pheromone in Staphylococcus aureus. J. Biol. Chem. 279: 19448-19456 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Verluyten, J., Messens, W., De Vuyst, L. (2004). Sodium Chloride Reduces Production of Curvacin A, a Bacteriocin Produced by Lactobacillus curvatus Strain LTH 1174, Originating from Fermented Sausage. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 2271-2278 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Maldonado, A., Jimenez-Diaz, R., Ruiz-Barba, J. L. (2004). Induction of Plantaricin Production in Lactobacillus plantarum NC8 after Coculture with Specific Gram-Positive Bacteria Is Mediated by an Autoinduction Mechanism. J. Bacteriol. 186: 1556-1564 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Nilsen, T., Nes, I. F., Holo, H. (2003). Enterolysin A, a Cell Wall-Degrading Bacteriocin from Enterococcus faecalis LMG 2333. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69: 2975-2984 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Fimland, G., Eijsink, V. G. H., Nissen-Meyer, J. (2002). Comparative studies of immunity proteins of pediocin-like bacteriocins. Microbiology 148: 3661-3670 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Nilsson, L., Nielsen, M. K., Ng, Y., Gram, L. (2002). Role of Acetate in Production of an Autoinducible Class IIa Bacteriocin in Carnobacterium piscicola A9b. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68: 2251-2260 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Spellerberg, B., Rozdzinski, E., Martin, S., Weber-Heynemann, J., Lutticken, R. (2002). rgf Encodes a Novel Two-Component Signal Transduction System of Streptococcus agalactiae. Infect. Immun. 70: 2434-2440 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Gomez, A., Ladire, M., Marcille, F., Fons, M. (2002). Trypsin Mediates Growth Phase-Dependent Transcriptional Regulation of Genes Involved in Biosynthesis of Ruminococcin A, a Lantibiotic Produced by a Ruminococcus gnavus Strain from a Human Intestinal Microbiota. J. Bacteriol. 184: 18-28 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Guder, A., Schmitter, T., Wiedemann, I., Sahl, H.-G., Bierbaum, G. (2002). Role of the Single Regulator MrsR1 and the Two-Component System MrsR2/K2 in the Regulation of Mersacidin Production and Immunity. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68: 106-113 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Diep, D. B., Axelsson, L., Grefsli, C., Nes, I. F. (2000). The synthesis of the bacteriocin sakacin A is a temperature-sensitive process regulated by a pheromone peptide through a three-component regulatory system. Microbiology 146: 2155-2160 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• O'Keeffe, T., Hill, C., Ross, R. P. (1999). Characterization and Heterologous Expression of the Genes Encoding Enterocin A Production, Immunity, and Regulation in Enterococcus faecium DPC1146. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 1506-1515 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Eijsink, V. G. H., Skeie, M., Middelhoven, P. H., Brurberg, M. B., Nes, I. F. (1998). Comparative Studies of Class IIa Bacteriocins of Lactic Acid Bacteria. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 64: 3275-3281 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Anderssen, E. L., Diep, D. B., Nes, I. F., Eijsink, V. G. H., Nissen-Meyer, J. (1998). Antagonistic Activity of Lactobacillus plantarum C11: Two New Two-Peptide Bacteriocins, Plantaricins EF and JK, and the Induction Factor Plantaricin A. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 64: 2269-2272 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Nilsen, T., Nes, I. F., Holo, H. (1998). An Exported Inducer Peptide Regulates Bacteriocin Production in Enterococcus faecium CTC492. J. Bacteriol. 180: 1848-1854 [Abstract] [Full Text]