Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Enterocins Produced by Enterococci Isolated from Breast-Fed Infants: Antilisterial Potential

Version 1 : Received: 22 September 2023 / Approved: 26 September 2023 / Online: 27 September 2023 (09:17:31 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Landete, J.M.; Montiel, R.; Rodríguez-Mínguez, E.; Arqués, J.L. Enterocins Produced by Enterococci Isolated from Breast-Fed Infants: Antilisterial Potential. Children 2024, 11, 261. Landete, J.M.; Montiel, R.; Rodríguez-Mínguez, E.; Arqués, J.L. Enterocins Produced by Enterococci Isolated from Breast-Fed Infants: Antilisterial Potential. Children 2024, 11, 261.

Abstract

Enterocins are bacteriocins synthesized by Enterococcus strains that show an interesting antimi-crobial effectiveness against foodborne pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes. The objectives of this study were identify and analyze the expression of enterocin genes of Enterococcus isolated from breast-fed infants and evaluate the ability to inhibit three human isolates of virulent Lis-teria monocytogenes, as well as some probiotic bacteria. The susceptibility of the strains of L. mon-ocytogenes to fifteen antibiotics was tested, detecting resistance to cefoxitin (constitutive-ly resistant), oxacillin and clindamycin. Production of enterocins A, B and P were observed in Enterococcus faecium isolates, and enterocin AS-48 in an Enterococcus faecalis isolate. AS-48 showed antilisterial activity by itself, while the joint action of enterocins A and B, or B and P was neces-sary for inhibiting L. monocytogenes, demonstrating a synergistic effect of those combinations. The presence of multiple enterocin genes does not assured the inhibition of L. monocytogenes strains. However, the expression of multiple enterocin genes showed a good correlation with the inhibition capacity of these strains. Furthermore the potential beneficial strains of lactobacil-li and bifidobacteria examined were not inhibited by any of the enterocins produced individu-ally or in combination, with the exception of Bifidobacterium longum BB536, which was inhibited by enterocin AS-48 and the joint production of enterocins A and B or B and P. The enterocins studied here could be candidates for developing alternative treatments against antibi-otic-resistant bacterial infections. Moreover, these selected enterocin-producing E. faecium strains isolated from breast-fed infants could be used as probiotic strains due to their antilisterial effect as well as the absence of virulence factors.

Keywords

Enterocins; Enterococcus; breast-fed infants; bacterial infection; Listeria monocytogenes; selective inhibition; probiotic

Subject

Biology and Life Sciences, Immunology and Microbiology

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