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

<i>Escherichia coli</i> is a kind of gram-negative bacteria living in environment. Some strains of <i>E. coli</i> can cause food borne diseases under certain conditions. Plantaricin BM-1 is a class IIa bacteriocin produced by <i>Lactobacillus plantarum</i>. It has certain antibacterial activity against a variety of food borne pathogens including <i>E. coli</i>, 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<i> </i>protein on the sensitivity of plantaricin BM-1 in <i>E. coli</i>. According to our results, YbfA regulates the sensitivity of <i>E. coli</i> 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.<br>