Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 9, 2025
Use of the Soft-agar Overlay Technique to Screen for Bacterially Produced Inhibitory Compounds
Published on: January 14, 2017
Isolation and characterization of an exopolymer produced by Bacillus licheniformis: In vitro antiviral activity
E Sánchez-León1, R Bello-Morales2, J A López-Guerrero2
1Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, UAM, Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
Abstract:
The exopolymer (EPSp) produced by the strain B. licheniformis IDN-EC was isolated and characterized using different techniques (MALDI-TOF, NMR, ATR-FTIR, TGA, DSC, SEM). The results showed that the low molecular weight EPSp contained a long polyglutamic acid and an extracellular teichoic acid polysaccharide. The latter was composed of poly(glycerol phosphate) and was substituted at the 2-position of the glycerol residues with a αGal and αGlcNH2. The αGal O-6 position was also found to be substituted by a phosphate group. The antiviral capability of this EPSp was also tested on both enveloped (herpesviruses HSV, PRV and vesicular stomatitis VSV) and non-enveloped (MVM) viruses. The EPSp was efficient at inhibiting viral entry for the herpesviruses and VSV but was not effective against non-enveloped viruses. The in vivo assay of the EPSp in mice showed no signs of toxicity which could allow for its application in the healthcare sector.
