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Updated: Apr 21, 2026

Production and Visualization of Bacterial Spheroplasts and Protoplasts to Characterize Antimicrobial Peptide Localization
Published on: August 11, 2018
Surface glycosaminoglycans protect eukaryotic cells against membrane-driven peptide bacteriocins
Rebeca Martín1, Susana Escobedo1, Carla Martín1
1Área de Microbiología, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain.
Abstract:
Enzymatic elimination of surface glycosaminoglycans or inhibition of their sulfation provokes sensitizing of HT-29 and HeLa cells toward the peptide bacteriocins nisin A, plantaricin C, and pediocin PA-1/AcH. The effect can be partially reversed by heparin, which also lowers the susceptibility of Lactococcus lactis to nisin A. These data indicate that the negative charge of the glycosaminoglycan sulfate residues binds the positively charged bacteriocins, thus protecting eukaryotic cells from plasma membrane damage.
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