Short communication: In vivo screening platform for bacteriocins using Caenorhabditis elegans to control...

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Veterinary Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Mastitis, a significant dairy cow infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus, necessitates novel therapeutic strategies.
• Current treatments face challenges, driving the search for alternative antimicrobial agents.
• Bacillus species from traditional foods offer a potential source for novel bacteriocins.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a high-throughput in vivo screening platform for identifying bacteriocins.
• To isolate and characterize a novel bacteriocin effective against Staphylococcus aureus RF122.
• To elucidate the mechanism of action of the identified bacteriocin.

Main Methods:

• Development of a 96-well plate-based Caenorhabditis elegans in vivo assay.
• Isolation and screening of Bacillus species from traditional Korean foods.
• Characterization of the novel bacteriocin using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS).
• RNA-sequencing to identify host response genes.

Main Results:

• Identification of lichenicin 146, a novel bacteriocin from Bacillus licheniformis strain 146, with potent in vivo activity against Staphylococcus aureus RF122.
• LC-MS analysis confirmed lichenicin 146's identity and its homology to known bacteriocins.
• RNA-seq revealed host genes involved in Staphylococcus aureus infection and lichenicin 146's bactericidal mechanism.

Conclusions:

• The developed C. elegans in vivo platform is a simple, cost-effective, and reliable method for screening antimicrobial compounds.
• Lichenicin 146 shows promise as a novel therapeutic agent for controlling mastitis in dairy cows.
• Understanding the molecular mechanisms provides a foundation for further development of bacteriocin-based therapies.