Characterization of a bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus sp. T7 isolated from humans

A bacteriocin-producing organism, Enterococcus sp. T7, was isolated from human fecal samples. Bacteriocin T7, named tentatively as the bacteriocin, was produced by Enterococcus sp. T7 and it inhibited some strains of Lactobacillus, Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, and Streptococcus, but not all the lactococci and gram-negative bacteria tested. Bacteriocin T7 inhibited the growth of Listeria monocytogenes Scott A, but the degree of inhibition was less than those for other sensitive gram-positive bacteria. Bacteriocin T7 in MRS broth started to produce at the middle of the exponential growth phase and the inhibitory activity reached its maximum level during the stationary growth phase. Bacteriocin T7 was stable against heat treatments, pH variations (pH 2-10), and exposure to organic solvents. The molecular weight of bacteriocin T7 was estimated to be 6,500 Da by SDS-PAGE. All these facts, including physico-chemical stabilities, small molecular size, and inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes, indicate that bacteriocin T7 is likely to be a member of the class IIa bacteriocins.