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Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, March 2001, p. 901-904, Vol. 45, No. 3
0066-4804/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/AAC.45.3.901-904.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Enterocin P Causes Potassium Ion Efflux from Enterococcus faecium T136 Cells

Carmen Herranz,1,* Luis M. Cintas,1 Pablo E. Hernández,1 Gert N. Moll,2 and Arnold J. M. Driessen2

Departamento de Nutrición y Bromatología III, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain,1 and Department of Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Kerklaan 30, 9751 NN Haren, The Netherlands2

Received 24 April 2000/Returned for modification 15 August 2000/Accepted 21 December 2000

Enterocin P is a bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus faecium P13. We studied the mechanism of its bactericidal action using enterocin-P-sensitive E. faecium T136 cells. The bacteriocin is incapable of dissipating the transmembrane pH gradient. On the other hand, depending on the buffer used, enterocin P dissipates the transmembrane potential. Enterocin P efficiently elicits efflux of potassium ions, but not of intracellularly accumulated anions like phosphate and glutamate. Taken together, these data demonstrate that enterocin P forms specific, potassium ion-conducting pores in the cytoplasmic membrane of target cells.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Departamento de Nutrición y Bromatología III, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain. Phone: 34913943750. Fax: 34913943743. E-mail: cburgy{at}eucmax.sim.ucm.es.

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, March 2001, p. 901-904, Vol. 45, No. 3
0066-4804/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/AAC.45.3.901-904.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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