What is Colicin?
1 Answer
Colicin is a type of bacteriocin produced by some strains of Esherichia coli.
Explanation:
These bacteriocins are peptide and protein antibiotics released by bacteria to kill other bacteria of the same species, in order to provide a competitive advantage for nutrient acquisition.
Colicin peptides are plasmid encoded. The peptide is released by the cell into the area surrounding it. Proteins present in the host cell membranes translocate them across into the host cell. They then kill the host cells through a variety of different methods. The main killing activities are carried out through pore formation, DNase activity and 16s rRNAse activity.
Due their narrow killing spectrum, bacteriocins are important in microbial biodiversity and the stable coexistence of the bacterial populations.
