Bacteriocin production by Clostridium acetobutylicum in an industrial fermentation process

Abstract

High titers of a noninducible bacteriocin were produced by C. acetobutylicum in a molasses fermentation medium used for the industrial production of solvents [acetone and butanol]. Release of the bacteriocin towards the end of the exponential growth phase was accompanied by lysis of the culture and inhibition of the production of solvents. The producer cells were sensitive to the bacteriocin, which only affected other C. acetobutylicum strains and a C. felsineum strain. The thermolabile bacteriocin was not inactivated by protease enzymes and had an optimum stability between pH 4-5. The sedimentation coefficient of the bacteriocin was 6S.