Bacteriocins: antibiotics in the age of the microbiome

Abstract

Antibiotics have revolutionised the treatment of infectious disease and improved the lives of billions of people worldwide over many decades. With the rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and corresponding lack of antibiotic development, we find ourselves in dire need of alternative treatments. Bacteriocins are a class of bacterially produced, ribosomally synthesised, antimicrobial peptides that may be narrow or broad in their spectra of activity. Animal models have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of bacteriocins in treating a broad range of infections; however, one of the principal drawbacks has been their relatively narrow spectra when compared with small-molecule antibiotics. In an era where we are beginning to appreciate the role of the microbiota in human and animal health, the fact that bacteriocins cause much less collateral damage to the host microbiome makes them a highly desirable therapeutic. This review makes a case for the implementation of bacteriocins as therapeutic antimicrobials, either alone or in combination with existing antibiotics to alleviate the AMR crisis and to lessen the impact of antibiotics on the host microbiome

Bacteriocins as a new generation of antimicrobials: toxicity aspects and regulations

“…They may also directly inhibit pathogens. Finally, bacteriocins may act as signaling peptides, either signaling other bacteria through quorum sensing or signaling cells of the host immune system and hence modulating host immune system (Egan, Ross and Hill 2017 ). In a study by Pablo et al .…”

Virulence Factors in Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci

“…More detailed information about the structure, characteristics, properties, and modes of actions of each class of bacteriocins produced by Gram-positive bacteria, in particular produced by CoNS, are comprehensively and recently reviewed elsewhere [408,409]. Although initially thought to only target closely related bacteria, some bacteriocins have a broader spectrum of activity affecting bacteria across different genera [410] or even transphylum [407]. Besides presenting a variable spectrum of activity, their high diversity [411], high stability at elevated temperatures and wide range of pH [412,413], relatively low cytotoxicity [407,414], and amenability to bioengineering [410] render bacteriocins interesting for an array of applications in food, agriculture, veterinary, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries (reviewed in [415][416][417]).…”

Nisin J, a Novel Natural Nisin Variant, Is Produced by Staphylococcus capitis Sourced from the Human Skin Microbiota

“…Studies have revealed that nisin and other structurally related lantibiotics use the membrane-bound peptidoglycan precursor lipid II as a docking molecule, which consequently promotes two bactericidal activities, pore formation and inhibition of peptidoglycan biosynthesis (25). Significantly, lantibiotics have been shown to possess activity against antibiotic-resistant targets such as vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and may have the potential to mitigate the looming global AR crisis (26).…”