Isolation and characterization of enterocin EJ97, a bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus faecalis EJ97

Abstract

The bacteriocinogenic strain of Enterococcus faecalis EJ97 has been isolated from municipal waste water. It produces a cationic bacteriocin (enterocin EJ97) of low molecular mass (5,340 Da) that is very stable under mild heat conditions and is sensitive to proteolytic enzymes. The amino acid sequence of the first 18 N-terminal residues of enterocin EJ97 indicates that it is different from other known protein sequences. Enterocin EJ97 is active on several gram-positive bacteria including enterococci, several species of Bacillus, Listeria, and Staphylococcus aureus. The producer strain is immune to bacteriocin. Enterocin EJ97 has a concentration-dependent bactericidal and bacteriolytic effect on E. faecalis S-47.