Cited by 1,793Probiotics and Fermented FoodsAntimicrobial Peptides and ActivitiesBacteriophages and microbial interactions

Bacteriocins—A viable alternative to antibiotics?

Cotter, Paul D., Ross, R. Paul, Hill, Colin·2013·Nature Reviews Microbiology

Abstract

Solutions are urgently required for the growing number of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Bacteriocins, which are antimicrobial peptides produced by certain bacteria, might warrant serious consideration as alternatives to traditional antibiotics. These molecules exhibit significant potency against other bacteria (including antibiotic-resistant strains), are stable and can have narrow or broad activity spectra. Bacteriocins can even be produced in situ in the gut by probiotic bacteria to combat intestinal infections. Although the application of specific bacteriocins might be curtailed by the development of resistance, an understanding of the mechanisms by which such resistance could emerge will enable researchers to develop strategies to minimize this potential problem.

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Crossref · 10.1038/nrmicro2937

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164 of 164 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Most bacteriocins produced by LAB, especially those that inhibit Gram-positive bacteria, exert their antimicrobial effects by forming pores in the membrane of target cells, thereby depleting the transmembrane potential and/or pH gradient, which eventually leads to loss of cell contents.

    “Most bacteriocins produced by LAB, especially those that inhibit Gram-positive bacteria, exert their antimicrobial effects by forming pores in the membrane of target cells, thereby depleting the transmembrane potential and/or pH gradient, which eventually leads to loss of cell contents [187,188].”
  • Purified bacteriocins are degraded by various proteolytic enzymes during passage through the gastrointestinal tract, whereas bacteriocins produced by probiotic bacteria in the gut can interact directly with pathogens.

    “This is likely due to the fact that purified bacteriocins are degraded by various proteolytic enzymes during passage through the gastrointestinal tract. However, bacteriocins produced by probiotic bacteria in the gut can interact directly with pathogens. In this way, bacteriocins can be produced by probiotic bacteria in situ in the gut to combat intestinal infections [187].”

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Authors
Cotter, P. D., Ross, R. P., & Hill, C.
Affiliations
  • Teagasc - The Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority (IE)
  • University College Cork (IE)
Corresponding author
  • Cotter, Paul D.
  • Ross, R. Paul
  • Hill, Colin
Venue
Nature Reviews Microbiology
Published
2012-12-24
Volume
11
Issue
2
Pages
95-105
ISSN
  • 1740-1526 (ISSN-L)
  • 1740-1534
OpenAlex
W1544835748
Cited by
1,793
References
164
Citations by year
2026: 119 · 2025: 141 · 2024: 168 · 2023: 167 · 2022: 174 · 2021: 192 · 2020: 167 · 2019: 139 · 2018: 116 · 2017: 126 · 2016: 99 · 2015: 72 · 2014: 79 · 2013: 33
FWCI
7.74
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Nature Reviews Microbiology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Science Foundation Ireland
  • Irish Research Council
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Probiotics and Fermented Foods
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Microbiology › Antimicrobial Peptides and Activities
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
Keywords
bacteriocins, antimicrobial peptides, antibiotic resistance, antibiotic alternatives, probiotic bacteria, gut microbiota, intestinal infection, resistance mechanisms
MeSH terms
Anti-Bacterial Agents, Bacteria, Bacteriocins, Drug Resistance, Bacterial

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