Characterization of fatty acid composition, spore germination, and thermal resistance in a nisin-resistant mutant of Clostridium botulinum 169B and in the wild-type strain

Targeting the Impossible: A Review of New Strategies against Endospores

Endospore-forming bacteria are ubiquitous, and their endospores can be present in food, in domestic animals, and on contaminated surfaces. Many spore-forming bacteria have been used in biotechnological applications, while others are human pathogens responsible for a wide range of critical clinical infections. Due to their resistant properties, it is challenging to eliminate spores and avoid the reactivation of latent spores that may lead to active infections. Furthermore, endospores play an essential role in the survival, transmission, and pathogenesis of some harmful strains that put human and animal health at risk. Thus, different methods have been applied for their eradication. Nevertheless, natural products are still a significant source for discovering and developing new antibiotics. Moreover, targeting the spore for clinical pathogens such as Clostridioides difficile is essential to disease prevention and therapeutics. These strategies could directly aim at the structural components of the spore or their germination process. This work summarizes the current advances in upcoming strategies and the development of natural products against endospores. This review also intends to highlight future perspectives in research and applications.

Fatty acid signatures of sediment microbial community in the chronically polluted mangrove ecosystem

Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis was used to examine variation in the distribution of microbial communities in heavily polluted mangrove sediments of Thane creek, west coast of India. A total of 40 individual PLFAs representing 11 functional groups were identified in the sediment and were mainly dominated by saturated fatty acids (anaerobic prokaryotes) >50%. Significant dominance of PUFA, 16:3 ω6c (34.2%) indicators of micro-eukaryotes, in subsurface depth (p < 0.05) suggests input from the remnants of marine microalgae. Declined mean relative abundance of fungi (<6%) and actinomycetes (<1%) were detected in the sediment indicating their sensitivity to anthropic stressors. Homogenous profile of microbial diversity indicating active bioturbation. Cumulative metabolic stress evident from SAT/MUFA (>1), B/F (>1) and G⁺/G^- (<1) ratio and prolonged hypoxia to be prevalent in the creek during the study. In conclusion, PLFA signatures can thus be used as potential biomarkers of environmental monitoring and proxy for interpreting ecosystem health.

Colistin Treatment Affects Lipid Composition of Acinetobacter baumannii

Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) causes severe and often fatal healthcare-associated infections due partly to antibiotic resistance. There are no studies on A. baumannii lipidomics of susceptible and resistant strains grown at lethal and sublethal concentrations. Therefore, we analyzed the impact of colistin resistance on glycerolipids’ content by using untargeted lipidomics on clinical isolate. Nine lipid sub-classes were annotated, including phosphatidylcholine, rarely detected in the bacterial membrane among 130 different lipid species. The other lipid sub-classes detected are phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), lysophosphatidylethanolamine, hemibismonoacylglycerophosphate, cardiolipin, monolysocardiolipin, diacylglycerol, and triacylglycerol. Under lethal and sublethal concentrations of colistin, significant reduction of PE was observed on the resistant and susceptible strain, respectively. Palmitic acid percentage was higher at colistin at low concentration but only for the susceptible strain. When looking at individual lipid species, the most abundant PE and PG species (PE 34:1 and PG 34:1) are significantly upregulated when the susceptible and the resistant strains are cultivated with colistin. This is, to date, the most exhaustive lipidomics data compilation of A. baumannii cultivated in the presence of colistin. This work is highlighting the plasma membrane plasticity used by this gram-negative bacterium to survive colistin treatment.

Raman spectroscopy reveals alteration of spore compositions under different nutritional conditions in Lysinibacillus boronitolerans YS11

Little is known about final spores components when bacteria undergo sporulation under different nutrient conditions. Different degrees of resistance and germination rates were observed in the three types of spores of Lysinibacillus boronitolerans YS11 (SD, Spores formed in Difco sporulation medium™; SC and SF, Spores formed in an agricultural byproduct medium with 10 mM CaCl2 and with 10 mM FeSO4, respectively). Stronger UV resistance was recorded for SF with 1.8-2.3-fold greater survival than SC and SD under UV treatment. The three spore types showed similar heat resistances at 80°C, but survival rates of SC and SD were much higher (∼1,000 times) than those of SF at 90°C. However, germination capacity of SF was 20% higher than those of SD and SC on Luria-Bertani agar plates for 24 h. SF germinated more rapidly in a liquid medium with high NaCl concentrations than SC and SD, but became slower under alkaline conditions. Raman spectroscopy was used to analyze the heterogeneities in the three types of vegetative cells and their spores under different nutritional conditions. Exponentially grown-each vegetative cells had different overall Raman peak values. Raman peaks of SC, SD, and SF also showed differences in adenine and amide III compositions and nucleic acid contents. Our data along with Raman spectroscopy provided the evidence that spores formed under under different growth conditions possess very different cellular components, which affected their survival and germination rates.

Bacterial anti-microbial peptides and nano-sized drug delivery systems: The state of the art toward improved bacteriocins

Antimicrobial peptides (AMP) are molecules consisting of 12-100 amino acids synthesized by certain microbes and released extracellularly to inhibit the growth of other microbes. Among the AMP molecules, bacteriocins are produced by both gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial species and are used to kill or inhibit other prokaryotes in the environment. Due to their broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, some bacteriocins have the potential of becoming the next generation of antibiotics for use in the crisis of multi antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Recently, bacteriocins have even been used to treat cancer. However, bacteriocins present a few drawbacks, such as sensitivity to proteases, immunogenicity issues, and the development of bacteriocin resistance by pathogenic bacteria. In this regard, nanoscale drug delivery systems (Nano-DDS) have led to the expectation that they will eventually improve the treatment of many diseases by addressing these limitations and improving bacteriocin pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Thus, combining bacteriocins with nano-DDS may be useful in overcoming these drawbacks and thereby reveal the full potential of bacteriocins. In this review article, we highlight the importance of tailoring nano-DDS to address bacteriocin limitations, the successes and failures of this technology thus far, the challenges that this technology still has to overcome before reaching the market, and future perspectives. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to highlight, categorize, compare and contrast the different nano-DDS described in the literature so far, and compare their effectiveness in order to improve the next generation of bacteriocin nano-sized drug delivery systems (Nano-DDS).

A model for the prediction of antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli based on a comparative evaluation of fatty acid profiles

Antimicrobial resistance is a threat to agricultural production and public health. In this proof-of-concept study, we investigated predicting antimicrobial sensitive/resistant (S/R) phenotypes and host sources of Escherichia coli (n = 128) based on differential fatty acid abundance. Myristic (14:0), pentadecanoic acid (15:0), palmitic (16:0), elaidic (18:1⁹) and steric acid (18:0) were significantly different (α = 0.05) using a two-way ANOVA for predicting nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, aztreonam, cefatoxime, and ceftazidime S/R phenotypes. Additionally, analyses of palmitoleic (16:1), palmitic acid (16:0), methyl palmitate (i-17:0), and cis-9,10-methyleneoctadecanoic acid (19:0^Δ) showed these markers were significantly different (α = 0.05) between isolates obtained from cattle and raccoons. S/R phenotype prediction for the above antibiotics or host source, based on linear regression models of fatty acid abundance, were made using a replicated-randomized subsampling and modeling approach. This model predicted S/R phenotype with 79% and 81% accuracy for nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin, respectively. The isolate host source was predicted with 63% accuracy.

Effect of Triclosan and Chloroxylenol on Bacterial Membranes

Triclosan and chloroxylenol are broad-spectrum biocides used extensively in healthcare and consumer products. They have been suggested to perturb the structure of bacterial membranes, but studies so far have not considered that most bacterial membranes contain large amounts of branched-chain lipids. Here, molecular dynamics simulation is used to examine the effect of the two biocides on membranes consisting of lipids with methyl-branched chains, cyclopropanated chains, and nonbranched chains. It is shown that triclosan and chloroxylenol induced a phase transition in membranes from a liquid-crystalline to a liquid-ordered phase irrespective of the presence and nature of branching groups. At high concentration, chloroxylenol promoted chain interdigitation. Our results suggest that triclosan and chloroxylenol decrease the degree of fluidity of membranes and that this effect is more pronounced in bacterial membranes. As a result, their biocidal activity could be associated with a change in the function of membrane proteins.

Targeting a cell wall biosynthesis hot spot

Covering: up to 2017History points to the bacterial cell wall biosynthetic network as a very effective target for antibiotic intervention, and numerous natural product inhibitors have been discovered. In addition to the inhibition of enzymes involved in the multistep synthesis of the macromolecular layer, in particular, interference with membrane-bound substrates and intermediates essential for the biosynthetic reactions has proven a valuable antibacterial strategy. A prominent target within the peptidoglycan biosynthetic pathway is lipid II, which represents a particular "Achilles' heel" for antibiotic attack, as it is readily accessible on the outside of the cytoplasmic membrane. Lipid II is a unique non-protein target that is one of the structurally most conserved molecules in bacterial cells. Notably, lipid II is more than just a target molecule, since sequestration of the cell wall precursor may be combined with additional antibiotic activities, such as the disruption of membrane integrity or disintegration of membrane-bound multi-enzyme machineries. Within the membrane bilayer lipid II is likely organized in specific anionic phospholipid patches that form a particular "landing platform" for antibiotics. Nature has invented a variety of different "lipid II binders" of at least 5 chemical classes, and their antibiotic activities can vary substantially depending on the compounds' physicochemical properties, such as amphiphilicity and charge, and thus trigger diverse cellular effects that are decisive for antibiotic activity.

Bacteriocins: Novel Solutions to Age Old Spore-Related Problems?

Bacteriocins are ribosomally synthesized antimicrobial peptides produced by bacteria, which have the ability to kill or inhibit other bacteria. Many bacteriocins are produced by food grade lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Indeed, the prototypic bacteriocin, nisin, is produced by Lactococcus lactis, and is licensed in over 50 countries. With consumers becoming more concerned about the levels of chemical preservatives present in food, bacteriocins offer an alternative, more natural approach, while ensuring both food safety and product shelf life. Bacteriocins also show additive/synergistic effects when used in combination with other treatments, such as heating, high pressure, organic compounds, and as part of food packaging. These features are particularly attractive from the perspective of controlling sporeforming bacteria. Bacterial spores are common contaminants of food products, and their outgrowth may cause food spoilage or food-borne illness. They are of particular concern to the food industry due to their thermal and chemical resistance in their dormant state. However, when spores germinate they lose the majority of their resistance traits, making them susceptible to a variety of food processing treatments. Bacteriocins represent one potential treatment as they may inhibit spores in the post-germination/outgrowth phase of the spore cycle. Spore eradication and control in food is critical, as they are able to spoil and in certain cases compromise the safety of food by producing dangerous toxins. Thus, understanding the mechanisms by which bacteriocins exert their sporostatic/sporicidal activity against bacterial spores will ultimately facilitate their optimal use in food. This review will focus on the use of bacteriocins alone, or in combination with other innovative processing methods to control spores in food, the current knowledge and gaps therein with regard to bacteriocin-spore interactions and discuss future research approaches to enable spores to be more effectively targeted by bacteriocins in food settings.

Investigation into Formation of Lipid Hydroperoxides from Membrane Lipids in Escherichia coli O157:H7 following Exposure to Hot Water

Although studies have shown antimicrobial treatments consisting of hot water sprays alone or paired with lactic acid rinses are effective for reducing Escherichia coli O157:H7 loads on beef carcass surfaces, the mechanisms by which these interventions inactivate bacterial pathogens are still poorly understood. It was hypothesized that E. coli O157:H7 exposure to hot water in vitro at rising temperatures for longer time periods would result in increasing deterioration of bacterial outer membrane lipids, sensitizing the pathogen to subsequent lactic acid application. Cocktails of E. coli O157:H7 strains were subjected to hot water at 25 (control) 65, 75, or 85 °C incrementally up to 60 s, after which surviving cells were enumerated by plating. Formation of lipid hydroperoxides from bacterial membranes and cytoplasmic accumulation of L-lactic acid was quantified spectrophotometrically. Inactivation of E. coli O157:H7 proceeded in a hot water exposure duration- and temperature-dependent manner, with populations being reduced to nondetectable numbers following heating of cells in 85 °C water for 30 and 60 s (P < 0.05). Lipid hydroperoxide formation was not observed to be dependent upon increasing water temperature or exposure period. The data suggest that hot water application prior to organic acid application may function to increase the sensitivity of E. coli O157:H7 cells by degrading membrane lipids.

Inhibitory effects of nisin and potassium sorbate alone or in combination on vegetative cells growth and spore germination of Bacillus sporothermodurans in milk

The inhibitory activities of nisin or/and potassium sorbate on spores and vegetative cells of Bacillus sporothermodurans LTIS27, which are known to be a contaminant of dairy products and to be extremely heat-resistant, were investigated. First, the tested concentrations of nisin or potassium sorbate inhibited vegetative cell growth; with the minimum inhibitory concentrations were 5 × 10(3) IU/ml and 2% (w/v), respectively. Then, the behaviour of vegetative cells and spores in presence of sub-lethal concentrations of nisin (50 UI/ml) or/and potassium sorbate (0.2%), in milk at 37 °C for 5 days, were evaluated. In the absence of inhibitors, strain grew and sporulated at the end of the exponential phase. Nisin (50 UI/ml) was able to inhibit spore outgrowth but didn't affect their germination. It induced an immediate and transitory reduction (1.6log(10) after 1 h and 2.8log(10) after 6 h of incubation) of vegetative cell growth which reappeared between 10 h and 24 h. Potassium sorbate (0.2%) had a durable bacteriostatic effect (1.1log(10) after 6 h), on vegetative cells, followed by a slower regrowth. It was able to inhibit both germination and outgrowth of spores. Association of nisin and potassium sorbate, at sub-lethal concentrations, showed a synergistic effect and resulted in a total inhibition of cells growth after 5 days. The results illustrate the efficacy of nisin and potassium sorbate in combination, and the commercial potential of applying such treatment to decontaminate any product that has a problem with persistence of bacterial spores.

Potential use of inhibitors of bacteria spore germination in the prophylactic treatment of anthrax andClostridium difficile-associated disease

Spore germination is the first step in establishing Bacillus and Clostridium infections. Germination is triggered by the binding of small molecules by the resting spore. Subsequently, the activated spore secretes dipicolinic acid and calcium, the spore core is rehydrated and spore structures are degraded. Inhibition of any of the germination-related events will prevent development to the vegetative stage. Inhibition of spore germination has been studied intensively in the prevention of food spoilage. In this perspective, we propose that similar approaches could be used in the prophylactic control of Bacillus anthracis and Clostridium difficile infections. Inhibition of B. anthracis spore germination could protect military and first-line emergency personnel at high risk for anthrax exposure. Inhibition of C. difficile could prevent human C. difficile-associated disease during antibiotic treatment of immunocompromised patients.

Kinetic evidence for the presence of putative germination receptors in Clostridium difficile spores

Clostridium difficile is a spore-forming bacterium that causes Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD). Intestinal microflora keeps C. difficile in the spore state and prevents colonization. Following antimicrobial treatment, the microflora is disrupted, and C. difficile spores germinate in the intestines. The resulting vegetative cells are believed to fill empty niches left by the depleted microbial community and establish infection. Thus, germination of C. difficile spores is the first required step in CDAD. Interestingly, C. difficile genes encode most known spore-specific protein necessary for germination, except for germination (Ger) receptors. Even though C. difficile Ger receptors have not been identified, taurocholate (a bile salt) and glycine (an amino acid) have been shown to be required for spore germination. Furthermore, chenodeoxycholate, another bile salt, can inhibit taurocholate-induced C. difficile spore germination. In the present study, we examined C. difficile spore germination kinetics to determine whether taurocholate acts as a specific germinant that activates unknown germination receptors or acts nonspecifically by disrupting spores' membranes. Kinetic analysis of C. difficile spore germination suggested the presence of distinct receptors for taurocholate and glycine. Furthermore, taurocholate, glycine, and chenodeoxycholate seem to bind to C. difficile spores through a complex mechanism, where both receptor homo- and heterocomplexes are formed. The kinetic data also point to an ordered sequential progression of binding where taurocholate must be recognized first before detection of glycine can take place. Finally, comparing calculated kinetic parameters with intestinal concentrations of the two germinants suggests a mechanism for the preferential germination of C. difficile spores in antibiotic-treated individuals.

The combined effects of high pressure and nisin on germination and inactivation of Bacillus spores in milk

AIMS

The aim of this work was to investigate the germination and inactivation of spores of Bacillus species in buffer and milk subjected to high pressure (HP) and nisin.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Spores of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus suspended in milk or buffer were treated at 100 or 500 MPa at 40 degrees C with or without 500 IU ml(-1) of nisin. Treatment at 500 MPa resulted in high levels of germination (4 log units) of B. subtilis spores in both milk and buffer; this increased to >6 logs by applying a second cycle of pressure. Viability of B. subtilis spores in milk and buffer was reduced by 2.5 logs by cycled HP, while the addition of nisin (500 IU ml(-1)) prior to HP treatment resulted in log reductions of 5.7 and 5.9 in phosphate buffered saline and milk, respectively. Physical damage of spores of B. subtilis following HP was apparent using scanning electron microscopy. Treating four strains of B. cereus at 500 MPa for 5 min twice at 40 degrees C in the presence of 500 IU ml(-1) nisin proved less effective at inactivating the spores of these isolates compared with B. subtilis and some strain-to-strain variability was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Although high levels of germination of Bacillus spores could be achieved by combining HP and nisin, complete inactivation was not achieved using the aforementioned treatments.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Combinations of HP treatment and nisin may be an appealing alternative to heat pasteurization of milk.

Influence of nisin on the resistance of Bacillus anthracis sterne spores to heat and hydrostatic pressure

The influence of nisin on the heat and pressure resistance of Bacillus anthracis Sterne spores was examined. The decimal reduction times (D-value) of spores in milk (2% fat) at 80, 85, and 90 degrees C were determined. In the absence of nisin, the D-values were 30.09, 9.30, and 3.86 min, respectively. The D-values of spores heated in the presence of nisin (1 mg/ml) were not significantly different (P = 0.05). However, spores heated in the presence of nisin had a 1- to 2-log reduction in viability, after which the death kinetics became similar to those of spores in the absence of nisin. The z-values all were 11.2 degrees C regardless of the presence or absence of nisin. The pressure sensitivity of B. anthracis Sterne spores in the presence and absence of nisin also was determined. Spores treated with nisin were 10 times more pressure sensitive than were spores subjected to pressure in the absence of nisin under the conditions used in this study.

Effect of bovicin HC5 on growth and spore germination of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis isolated from spoiled mango pulp

AIMS

To use bovicin HC5 to inhibit predominant bacteria isolated from spoiled mango pulp.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Bovicin HC5 and nisin were added to brain heart infusion (BHI) medium (40-160 AU ml(-1)) or mango pulp (100 AU ml(-1)) and the growth of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis was monitored. Cultures treated with bovicin HC5 or nisin showed longer lag phases and grew slower in BHI medium. Bovicin HC5 and nisin were bactericidal and showed higher activity in mango pulp at acidic pH values. To determine the effect on spore germination and D values, mango pulp containing bovicin HC5 was inoculated with 10(6) and 10(9) spores per ml(-1), respectively, from each strain tested. Bovicin HC5 reduced the outgrowth of spores from B. cereus and B. thuringiensis, but thermal sensitivity was not affected.

CONCLUSIONS

Bovicin HC5 was bactericidal against B. cereus and B. thuringiensis isolated from spoiled mango pulp.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Bacillus cereus and B. thuringiensis had not been previously isolated from spoiled mango pulp and bovicin HC5 has the potential to inhibit such bacteria in fruit pulps.

Inhibition of Bacillus anthracis and potential surrogate bacilli growth from spore inocula by nisin and other antimicrobial peptides

The ability of nisin, synthetic temporin analogs, magainins, defensins, and cecropins to inhibit Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus mycoides, and Bacillus subtilis growth from spore inocula was determined using well diffusion assays. Nisin, magainin II amide, and defensins were inhibitory in screening against B. anthracis Sterne or B. cereus ATCC 7004, but only nisin inhibited virulent B. anthracis strains. The MICs of nisin against the 10 Bacillus strains examined were 0.70 to 13.51 microg/ml. Synthetic temporin analogs also inhibited B. anthracis but were not as potent as nisin. None of the strains examined were appropriate B. anthracis surrogates for testing sensitivity to antimicrobial peptides.

Fast induction of nisin resistance in Streptococcus thermophilus INIA 463 during growth in milk

Streptococcus thermophilus INIA 463 became nisin-resistant after exposure in skim milk to subminimal inhibitory concentrations of nisin (1-3 IU/ml) for less than 2 h. Addition of 20 IU/ml caused a 4 log unit decrease in S. thermophilus counts of a culture not exposed previously to nisin, whereas no decrease was observed in the culture exposed to nisin for 2 h. Transfer of immunity genes as responsible for nisin resistance was discarded. The presence of extracellular or intracellular specific nisin-degrading enzymes was not detected in the nisin-resistant variant of S. thermophilus INIA 463. Nisin resistance was caused by the induction of a resistance mechanism. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that the nisin-resistant variant of S. thermophilus INIA 463 had a thickened cell wall compared to the wild strain. Resistance to nisin was lost after one transfer (4 h growth) in nisin-free skim milk.

Physiological actions of preservative agents: prospective of use of modern microbiological techniques in assessing microbial behaviour in food preservation

In this mini-review, various aspects of homeostasis of microbial cells and its perturbation by antimicrobial agents will be discussed. First, outlining the position that the physiological studies on microbial behaviour using the modern molecular tools should have in food science sets the scene for the studies. Subsequently, the advent of functional genomics is discussed that allows full coverage of cellular reactions at unprecedented levels. Examples of weak organic acid resistance, the stress response against natural antimicrobial agents and responses against physicochemical factors show how we can now "open the black box" that microbes are, look inside and begin to understand how different cellular signalling cables are wired together. Using the analogy with machines, it will be indicated how the use of various signalling systems depends on the availability of substrates "fuel" to let the systems act in the context of the minimum energetic requirement cells have to let their housekeeping systems run. The outlook illustrates how new insights might be used to device knowledge-based rather than empirical combinations of preservation systems and how risk assessment models might be deviced that link the mechanistic insight to risk distributions of events in food manufacturing.

Membranes of class IIa bacteriocin-resistant Listeria monocytogenes cells contain increased levels of desaturated and short-acyl-chain phosphatidylglycerols

A major concern in the use of class IIa bacteriocins as food preservatives is the well-documented resistance development in target Listeria strains. We studied the relationship between leucocin A, a class IIa bacteriocin, and the composition of the major phospholipid, phosphatidylglycerol (PG), in membranes of both sensitive and resistant L. monocytogenes strains. Two wild-type strains, L. monocytogenes B73 and 412, two spontaneous mutants of L. monocytogenes B73 with intermediate resistance to leucocin A (+/-2.4 and +/-4 times the 50% inhibitory concentrations [IC50] for sensitive strains), and two highly resistant mutants of each of the wild-type strains (>500 times the IC50 for sensitive strains) were analyzed. Electrospray mass spectrometry analysis showed an increase in the ratios of unsaturated to saturated and short- to long-acyl-chain species of PG in all the resistant L. monocytogenes strains in our study, although their sensitivities to leucocin A were significantly different. This alteration in membrane phospholipids toward PGs containing shorter, unsaturated acyl chains suggests that resistant strains have cells with a more fluid membrane. The presence of this phenomenon in a strain (L. monocytogenes 412P) which is resistant to both leucocin A and pediocin PA-1 may indicate a link between membrane composition and class IIa bacteriocin resistance in some L. monocytogenes strains. Treatment of strains with sterculic acid methyl ester (SME), a desaturase inhibitor, resulted in significant changes in the leucocin A sensitivity of the intermediate-resistance strains but no changes in the sensitivity of highly resistant strains. There was, however, a decrease in the amount of unsaturated and short-acyl-chain PGs after treatment with SME in one of the intermediate and both of the highly resistant strains, but the opposite effect was observed for the sensitive strains. It appears, therefore, that membrane adaptation may be part of a resistance mechanism but that several resistance mechanisms may contribute to a resistance phenotype and that levels of resistance vary according to the type of mechanisms present.

The LisRK signal transduction system determines the sensitivity of Listeria monocytogenes to nisin and cephalosporins

The Listeria monocytogenes two-component signal transduction system, LisRK, initially identified in strain LO28, plays a significant role in the virulence potential of this important food-borne pathogen. Here, it is shown that, in addition to its major contribution in responding to ethanol, pH, and hydrogen peroxide stresses, LisRK is involved in the ability of the cell to tolerate important antimicrobials used in food and in medicine, e.g., the lantibiotic nisin and the cephalosporin family of antibiotics. A (Delta)lisK mutant (lacking the LisK histidine kinase sensor component) displays significantly enhanced resistance to the lantibiotic nisin, a greatly enhanced sensitivity to the cephalosporins, and a large reduction in the expression of three genes thought to encode a penicillin-binding protein, another histidine kinase (other than LisK), and a protein of unknown function. Confirmation of the role of LisRK was obtained when the response regulator, LisR, was overexpressed using both constitutive and inducible (nisin-controlled expression) systems. Under these conditions we observed a reversion of the (Delta)lisK mutant to wild-type growth kinetics in the presence of nisin. It was also found that overexpression of LisR complemented the reduced expression of two of the aforementioned genes. These results demonstrate the important role of LisRK in the response of L. monocytogenes to a number of antimicrobial agents.

Sensitivities of germinating spores and carvacrol-adapted vegetative cells and spores of Bacillus cereus to nisin and pulsed-electric-field treatment

Treatment of Bacillus cereus spores with nisin and/or pulsed-electric-field (PEF) treatment did not lead to direct inactivation of the spores or increased heat sensitivity as a result of sublethal damage. In contrast, germinating spores were found to be sensitive to PEF treatment. Nisin treatment was more efficient than PEF treatment for inactivating germinating spores. PEF resistance was lost after 50 min of germination, and not all germinated spores could be inactivated. Nisin, however, was able to inactivate the germinating spores to the same extent as heat treatment. Resistance to nisin was lost immediately when the germination process started. A decrease in the membrane fluidity of vegetative cells caused by incubation in the presence of carvacrol resulted in a dramatic increase in the sensitivity to nisin. On the other hand, inactivation by PEF treatment or by a combination of nisin and PEF treatments did not change after adaptation to carvacrol. Spores grown in the presence of carvacrol were not susceptible to nisin and/or PEF treatment in any way.

Inactivation of Escherichia coli and Listeria innocua in milk by combined treatment with high hydrostatic pressure and the lactoperoxidase system

We have studied inactivation of four strains each of Escherichia coli and Listeria innocua in milk by the combined use of high hydrostatic pressure and the lactoperoxidase-thiocyanate-hydrogen peroxide system as a potential mild food preservation method. The lactoperoxidase system alone exerted a bacteriostatic effect on both species for at least 24 h at room temperature, but none of the strains was inactivated. Upon high-pressure treatment in the presence of the lactoperoxidase system, different results were obtained for E. coli and L. innocua. For none of the E. coli strains did the lactoperoxidase system increase the inactivation compared to a treatment with high pressure alone. However, a strong synergistic interaction of both treatments was observed for L. innocua. Inactivation exceeding 7 decades was achieved for all strains with a mild treatment (400 MPa, 15 min, 20 degrees C), which in the absence of the lactoperoxidase system caused only 2 to 5 decades of inactivation depending on the strain. Milk as a substrate was found to have a considerable effect protecting E. coli and L. innocua against pressure inactivation and reducing the effectiveness of the lactoperoxidase system under pressure on L. innocua. Time course experiments showed that L. innocua counts continued to decrease in the first hours after pressure treatment in the presence of the lactoperoxidase system. E. coli counts remained constant for at least 24 h, except after treatment at the highest pressure level (600 MPa, 15 min, 20 degrees C), in which case, in the presence of the lactoperoxidase system, a transient decrease was observed, indicating sublethal injury rather than true inactivation.

Sensitivity of nisin-resistant Listeria monocytogenes to heat and the synergistic action of heat and nisin

Nisin, a bacteriocin produced by some strains of Lactococcus lactis, acts against foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. A single exposure of cells to nisin can generate nisin-resistant (Nisr) mutants, which may compromise the use of nisin in the food industry. The objective of this research was to compare the heat resistance of Nisr and wild type (WT) Listeria monocytogenes. The synergistic effect of heat-treatment (55 degrees C) and nisin (500 IU ml-1) on the Nisr cells and the WT L. monocytogenes Scott A was also studied. When the cells were grown in the absence of nisin, there was no significant (alpha = 0.05) difference in heat resistance between WT and Nisr cells of L. monocytogenes at 55, 60 and 65 degrees C. However, when the Nisr cells were grown in the presence of nisin, they were more sensitive to heat at 55 degrees C than the WT cells. The D-values at 55 degrees C were 2.88 and 2.77 min for Nisr ATCC 700301 and ATCC 700302, respectively, which was significantly (alpha = 0.05) lower than the D-value for WT, 3.72 min. When Nisr cells were subjected to a combined treatment of heat and nisin, there was approximately a four log reduction during the first 7 min of treatment.