Bacteriocin
Bacteriocin
Bacteriocin (pronunciation: /bækˈtɪəriəsɪn/) is a type of protein produced by bacteria that inhibits the growth of similar or closely related bacterial strain(s).
Etymology
The term "bacteriocin" is derived from the Greek words "bakterion" meaning small rod and "kinein" meaning to move. It was first used in the mid-20th century to describe a substance produced by a bacterium that kills other bacteria.
Definition
A bacteriocin is a ribosomally synthesized antimicrobial peptide produced by various bacteria, including Gram-positive and Gram-negative species. Bacteriocins are diverse group of proteins in terms of their size, microbial target, mode of action, release, and immunity mechanism. They are typically classified into two major classes: Class I bacteriocins (also known as lantibiotics) and Class II bacteriocins (non-lantibiotics).
Function
Bacteriocins have a bactericidal effect on competing bacterial strains in the same ecological niche. They are considered as a part of the bacterial defense system. Bacteriocins can be used as natural food preservatives and have potential therapeutic applications in human and veterinary medicine due to their specific activity against pathogenic bacteria.
Related Terms
- Antimicrobial Peptides: Small proteins that have antimicrobial properties. Bacteriocins are a type of antimicrobial peptide.
- Lantibiotics: A class of bacteriocins that contain the unusual amino acids lanthionine and methyllanthionine.
- Gram-positive bacteria: A group of bacteria that gives a positive result in the Gram stain test.
- Gram-negative bacteria: A group of bacteria that gives a negative result in the Gram stain test.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Bacteriocin
- Wikipedia's article - Bacteriocin
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski