Characterization of Two Bacteriocins Produced by Clostridium perfringens

• Published in: MICROBIOLOGY and IMMUNOLOGY 1991, Vol.35(6), pp.411-421
• Main Authors: Higa, Akiko, Yoshida, Etsuko, Miyoshi, Yasushi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bacteria; Bacteriocins - biosynthesis; Bacteriocins - isolation & purification; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Chromatography, Gel; Chromatography, Ion Exchange; Clostridium perfringens; Clostridium perfringens - growth & development; Clostridium perfringens - metabolism; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Microbiology; Molecular Weight; Pathogenicity, virulence, toxins, bacteriocins, pyrogens, host-bacteria relations, miscellaneous strains; Protein Denaturation
• ISSN: 0385-5600; 1348-0421
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1348-0421.1991.tb01572.x

Two types of bacteriocins were shown to be produced in succession by a strain of Clostridium perfringens SN-17. They were separated by diethylaminoethyl cellulose (DEAE) column chromatography at pH8.5 with a linear concentration gradient of NaCl. One type of bacteriocin (named SN-a) was eluted at 0.07M and the other type (named SN-b) was at 0.12M. Each of these was partially purified in a series of column chromatographies: DEAE, Sephadex G-200 (or Bio Gel P-150), and hydroxyapatite. Specific activities of SN-a and SN-b after the last chromatography were at most 30- to 50-fold that of culture filtrate of the organisms. Chromatographed SN-a migrated as a single zone in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and the zone showed high biological activity. On the other hand, PAGE pattern of SN-b revealed the presence of a few contamination materials. The activity of SN-b after the last chromatography was hardly recovered from the gel but inactivated SN-b was identified in the gel by examining bacteriocin activity of the DEAE fractions recovered from the gel. The molecular weight of the SN-a and SN-b was determined to be about 70, 000 and 100, 000, respectively, by molecular sieve chromatography. These bacteriocins were very sensitive to protease but insensitive to DNase and RNase. Bacteriocins were both completely inactivated at 55C and they were more stable in alkaline pH than in acidic pH. SN-a and SN-b were adsorbed in different ways on the surface of the producer and insensitive strains. Several differences and similarities between these 2 bacteriocins are discussed with special reference to the relationship between them.