Effect of small interfering RNA against Paracin 1.7 bacteriocin produced by Lactobacillus paracasei HD1-7

Lactobacillus paracasei HD1-7 (CCTCCM 205015), isolated from Chinese sauerkraut fermentation broth, contains the bacteriocin Paracin 1.7 which possesses broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. The gene-silencing effect of small interfering RNA (siRNA) is a potential strategy for further understanding the mechanism of production of Paracin 1.7 by L. paracasei HD1-7. In this study, the effect of siRNA on the expression of the most important proteins in the production of Paracin 1.7, sensor kinase (prcK) and response regulator (prcR), was investigated. SiRNA were designed against prcK and prcR, and qRT-PCR was performed to examine the expression of prcK and prcR mRNA. The efficacy of siRNA was determined by comparing the level of antimicrobial activity of the strains. qRT-PCR showed that siRNA-K4 and siRNA-K5 significantly inhibited the expression of prcK mRNA, and siRNA-R4 and siRNA-R6 significantly inhibited the expression of prcR mRNA. The proteins levels and antibacterial activities of mutant strains were lower than the original and control groups, respectively. The results demonstrate that siRNA inhibited both mRNA expression and the production of Paracin 1.7 in L. paracasei HD1-7. Targeting of prcK and prcR with siRNA appears to be a novel strategy for researching the mechanism of Paracin 1.7 production by L. paracasei HD1-7.