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Microbe-Microbe Interactions
The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is home to approx 1014 bacterial cells (gut microbiota), some of which produce useful antimicrobial peptides, called bacteriocins, that can kill other bacteria. Bacteriocins play a significant role in determining the flux of gut populations as they confer colonising and anti-infective mechanisms to commensal (or symbiotic) strains. One such bacteriocin produced by Lactococcus lactis, lacticin 3147, identified by the UCC/Teagasc team, inhibits a wide range of disease-causing bacteria, such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile. These bacteriocins could be developed as potential therapeutics by manipulating them to drive the development of a ‘healthy’ microbiota, to enhance the colonising ability of probiotics or to assist the host in resisting infectious disease.
Core 1 researchers have identified and patented a novel bacteriocin, thuricin, which has a greater specificity and potency than lacticin against C. difficile. We are targeting C. difficile carriage and outgrowth in vulnerable populations and plan to assess the APC probiotic strains for their potential to prevent or ameliorate C. difficile infection. We are also characterising a range of novel antimicrobial isolates produced by the human GIT microbiota and investigating their activity in vitro and in vivo.
Investigators:
| Biosciences Institute University College Cork Ireland email: apc@ucc.ie |
Moorepark Food Research Centre Teagasc, Fermoy, Co. Cork Ireland |
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