Characterization and purification of acidocin 1B, a bacteriocin produced by Lactobacillus acidophilus GP1B

In the present study, acidocin 1B, a bacteriocin produced by Lactobacillus acidophilus GP1B, exhibited profound inhibitory activity against a variety of LAB and pathogens, including Gram-negative bacteria, and its mode of action was to destabilize the cell wall, thereby resulting in bactericidal lysis. Acidocin 1B was found to be heat stable, because it lost no activity when it was heated up to 95°C for 60 min. It retained approximately 67% of the initial activity after storage for 30 days at 4°C, and 50% of its initial activity after 30 days at 25°C and 37°C. The molecular mass of acidocin 1B was estimated to be 4,214.65 Da by mass spectrometry. Plasmid curing results indicated that a plasmid, designated as pLA 1B, seemed to be responsible for both acidocin 1B production and host immunity, and that the pLA1B could be transformed into competent cells of L. acidophilus ATCC 43121 by electroporation. Our findings indicate that the acidocin 1B and its producer strain may have potential value as a biopreservative in food systems.