RESUMEN
AIM: Bacteriocins with antimicrobial activity are considered as potential natural bio-preservatives to control the growth of food spoilage bacteria. The aim of this work was to characterize a novel bacteriocin BM1029 discovered from Lactobacillus crustorum MN047 and evaluate its antibacterial mechanism. METHODS AND RESULTS: Bacteriocin BM1029 was purified by cation-exchange chromatography and reversed-phase chromatography. Antibacterial activity assay showed that BM1029 is antagonistic against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Furthermore, it was found that BM1029 showed low haemolysis with high stability to the pretreatment with different temperatures, pH and surfactants. Moreover electron microscopy and flow cytometry suggested that BM1029 inhibit indicator strains by damaging the cell envelope integrity. Cell cycle assay suggested that BM1029 arrested cell cycle in R-phase. CONCLUSION: The novel bacteriocin BM1029 showed high bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus through a cell envelope-associated mechanism. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Application of BM1029 inhibited the growth of indicator strains on beef meat storage at 4°C suggesting that this bacteriocin is promising to be used as a novel preservative in food processing and preservation.