Purification, Characterization, and Mode of Action of Pentocin JL-1, a Novel Bacteriocin Isolated from , against Drug-Resistant .

and its drug-resistant strains, which threaten public health and food safety, are in need of effective control by biopreservatives. A novel bacteriocin, pentocin JL-1, produced by that was isolated from the intestinal tract of , was purified by a four-step chromatographic process. Mass spectrometry based on MALDI-TOF indicated that pentocin JL-1 has a molecular mass of 2987.23 Da. Only six of the twenty-five amino acids could be identified by Edman degradation. This bacteriocin is thermostable and tolerates a pH range of 5-7. Also, it is sensitive to proteinase K, trypsin, pepsin, and alkaline protease. This bacteriocin has a broad inhibitory spectrum against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains and in particular is effective against multidrug-resistant . Additionally, we showed that the cell membrane is the target of pentocin JL-1 against methicillin-resistant (MRSA), causing a loss of proton motive force. Furthermore, pentocin JL-1 has a drastic impact on the structure and integrity of MRSA cells. These results suggest that pentocin JL-1 has potential as a biopreservative in the food industry.