Antibacterial activity is the most investigated biological property of honey. The goal of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of 57 Slovak blossom honeys against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and investigate the role of several bioactive substances in antibacterial action of honeys. Inhibitory and bactericidal activities of honeys were studied to determine the minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations. The contents of glucose oxidase (GOX) enzyme, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and total polyphenols (TP) were determined in honeys. We found that honey samples showed different antibacterial efficacy against the tested bacteria as follows: wildflower honeys > acacia honeys > rapeseed honeys. Overall antibacterial activity of the honeys was statistically-significantly correlated with the contents of H2O2 and TP in honeys. A strong correlation was found between the H2O2 and TP content. On the other hand, no correlation was found between the content of GOX and level of H2O2. Antibacterial activity of 12 selected honeys was markedly reduced by treatment with catalase, but it remained relatively stable after inactivation of GOX with proteinase-K digestion. Obtained results suggest that the antibacterial activity of blossom honeys is mainly mediated by H2O2 levels present in honeys which are affected mainly by polyphenolic substances and not directly by GOX content.

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Septins are a family of conserved cytoskeletal proteins playing an essential role in cytokinesis and in many other cellular processes in fungi and animals. In budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, septins form filaments and higher-order structures at the mother-bud neck depending on the particular stage of the cell cycle. Septin structures at the division plane serve as a scaffold to recruit the proteins required for particular cellular processes. The formation and localization of septin structures at particular stages of the cell cycle also determine functionality of these proteins. Many different proteins participate in regulating septin assembly. Despite recent developments, we are only beginning to understand how specific protein-protein interactions lead to changes in the polymerization of septin filaments or assembly of higher-order structures. Here, using fluorescence and electron microscopy, we found that Bni5 crosslinks septin filaments into networks by bridging pairs or multiple filaments, forming structures that resemble railways. Furthermore, Bni5 appears to be a substrate of the Elm1 protein kinase in vitro. Moreover, Elm1 induces in the presence of Bni5 disassembly of long septin filaments, suggesting that these proteins may participate in the hourglass to double ring transition. This work gives new insight into the regulatory role of Bni5 in the structural changes of septins.