Plantaricin C19, an anti-Listeria bacteriocin, was successfully purified by adsorption to and release from producing cells at low pH combined with reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The purification resulted in a 900-fold increase in specific activity with a yield of 15% of the original activity. Mass spectrometry analysis gave a molecular weight of 3845.3. Protein microsequencing identified 36 amino acids. Plantaricin C19 is rich in both hydrophobic and basic amino acids in good accordance with its basic and hydrophobic character. Comparison of the amino acid sequence of plantaricin C19, with the sequence of some other anti-Listeria bacteriocins produced with lactic acid bacteria, revealed that plantaricin C19 has in its N-terminal region the consensus sequence--YYGNGL--(uniquely with Valine instead of Leucine as found in all other bacteriocins), identifying plantaricin C19 as a pediocin-like bacteriocin. Plantaricin C19 exerted a bacteriostatic action on sensitive cells of Listeria grayi IP 6818 in BHI broth. No loss of intracellular K+, Mg2+ or UV-absorbing materials was observed. Adsorption of plantaricin C19 on L. grayi CIP 6818 decreased in the presence of salts.