YbfA regulates the sensitivity of Escherichia coli K12 to plantaricin BM-1 via the BasS/BasR two-component regulatory system

Escherichia coli is a kind of gram-negative bacteria living in environment. Some strains of E. coli can cause food borne diseases under certain conditions. Plantaricin BM-1 is a class IIa bacteriocin produced by Lactobacillus plantarum. It has certain antibacterial activity against a variety of food borne pathogens including E. coli, and has broad application prospects in the field of food preservation. At present, the mechanism underlying the action of class IIa bacteriocins against gram-positive bacteria has been thoroughly studied, but the mechanism underlying the action of gram-negative bacteria remains to be explored. To address this important question, in this study we mainly investigate the regulatory mechanism of YbfA protein on the sensitivity of plantaricin BM-1 in E. coli. According to our results, YbfA regulates the sensitivity of E. coli K12 to plantaricin BM-1 via the BasS/BasR two-component regulatory system. Our findings may thus contribute to understanding the antibacterial mechanism of class IIa bacteriocins against gram-negative bacteria.