Colicinogeny and related phenomena.

The biology of colicin M

“…Bacteriocins are proteinaceous toxins produced by bacteria which are active against a limited number of bacterial species. Bacteriocin synthesis is widespread among both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria [1][2][3][4]. Such toxins, when produced by Escherichia coil, are known as colicins.…”

“…The latter two proteins function respectively to protect the colicin producing host cell from the lethal action of the colicin (self produced and/or from other cells), and to aid in cellular release of the cytoplasmicaUy accumulated colicin once the cell is committed to the suicidal process of colicin production. Colicinogeny in general has been reviewed in some detail [2,4,[7][8][9]. The properties of several colicins (A, El, E2, E3, and cloacin DF13) have also been the subject of recent reviews [10][11][12][13].…”

Colicinogeny of O55 EPEC diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli

“…The notion that colicins could provide strains of Escherichia coli, both pathogenic or otherwise, with a selective advantage and hence predominance in the intestinal tract, has been considered for a number of years (1]. Objections were that proteases would degra0e bactericidal colicin proteins, and that prevailing anaerobic conditions would reduce production [2,3]. However, concentrations of trypsin etc.…”

Aerobactin production and plasmid distribution in Escherichia coli clinical isolates

“…Production of antimicrobial agents (colicins [4] and microcins [5]) is encoded by plasmids in E. coli [5,6]. Production of these agents has been suggested to be associated with the capacity for mucosal surface colonization of certain E. coli strains.…”