Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) and Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) lung infections are responsible for much of the mortality in cystic fibrosis (CF). However, little is known about the ecological interactions between these two, often co-infecting, species. This study provides what is believed to be the first report of the intra- and interspecies bacteriocin-like inhibition potential of Pa and Bcc strains recovered from CF patients. A total of 66 strains were screened, and shown to possess bacteriocin-like inhibitory activity (97 % of Pa strains and 68 % of Bcc strains showed inhibitory activity), much of which acted across species boundaries. Further phenotypic and molecular-based assays revealed that the source of this inhibition differs for the two species. In Pa, much of the inhibitory activity is due to the well-known S and RF pyocins. In contrast, Bcc inhibition is due to unknown mechanisms, although RF-like toxins were implicated in some strains. These data suggest that bacteriocin-based inhibition may play a role in governing Pa and Bcc interactions in the CF lung and may, therefore, offer a novel approach to mediating these often fatal infections.

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Chapter 1. The Natural History of Bacteriocins (David M. Gordon) Chapter 2. Microcins and Other Bacteriocins: Bridging the Gaps Between Killing Stategies, Ecology and Applications (Sylvie Rebuffat) Chapter 3. Nuclease Colicins: Mode of Action, Immunity and Mechanism of Import into Escherichia coli (Justyna A. Wojdyla, Grigorios Papadakos and Colin Kleanthous) Chapter 4. Capturing the Power of Van der Waals Zone in the Creation of a Novel Family of Bacteriocin-based Antibiotics (Xiao-Qing Qiu and Margaret A. Riley) Chapter 5. The Use of Pyocins in Treating Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infections (Suphan Bakkal) Chapter 6. Streptococcal Bacteriocin-producing Strains as Oral Probiotic Agents