The production of antagonistic compounds was studied with a strain of Lactobacillus acidophilus isolated from chicken intestinal tract. Accumulation of lactic acid (0.15 mol/l), hydrogen peroxide (280 nmol/h/mg cell dry weight), and a bacteriocin (ca. 10,000 arbitrary activity units per ml) was observed in cultures of this strain. In conditions eliminating the effects of organic acids and hydrogen peroxide, the bacteriocin, designated LA-147, showed inhibitory activity against strains of Lactobacillus leichmannii but not against several other species of Lactobacillus, or other selected gram-positive and gram-negative species. LA-147 (MW ca. 38.5 kDa) was bactericidal against sensitive cells; it was inactivated by heating for 15 min at 100°C, and by the action of protease and alpha-chymotrysin.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.