Bacteriocin as weapons in the marine animal-associated bacteria warfare: inventory and potential applications as an aquaculture probiotic

Abstract

As the association of marine animals with bacteria has become more commonly recognized, researchers have increasingly questioned whether these animals actually produce many of the bioactive compounds originally isolated from them. Bacteriocins, ribosomally synthesized antibiotic peptides, constitute one of the most potent weapons to fight against pathogen infections. Indeed, bacteriocinogenic bacteria may prevent pathogen dissemination by occupying the same ecological niche. Bacteriocinogenic strains associated with marine animals are a relevant source for isolation of probiotics. This review draws up an inventory of the marine bacteriocinogenic strains isolated from animal-associated microbial communities, known to date. Bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances (BLIS) and fully-characterized bacteriocins are described. Finally, their applications as probiotics in aquaculture are discussed.

Keywords: BLIS; aquaculture; bacteriocin; probiotic.

Figure 1

Bacteriocin related publications per 10 years period referenced in Pubmed. The bibliographical data bank, Pubmed, was questioned per period of 10 year since 1949. The various keywords employed aimed at distinguishing the various categories of bacteriocins. They were required in title and summary. The different keywords used for query were “Colicin” for colicin, “microcin not colicin” for microcins and “bacteriocin and LAB not colicin not microcin” for LAB bacteriocin.

Figure 2

Covalent structure of some representative peptide-bacteriocins. A: nisin, B: microcin B17, C: pediocin PA-1, D patellamide A.

Figure 3

Strategy to select probiotics for aquaculture.