I NG S. 1998. In order to assess the potential for the spread of class IIa bacteriocin resistance in natural populations of Listeria monocytogenes, the fitness costs associated with resistance to leucocins A, B and E and sakacin A in L. monocytogenes B73 in the absence of bacteriocin were examined. The resistant phenotype had a lower growth rate (and thus relative fitness) than the sensitive phenotype in monoculture experiments. Furthermore, resistant phenotypes were unable to invade populations of the sensitive strain, even at frequencies of 10 −1 or higher, when grown in co-culture. These results held true for resistant strains that had been exposed to bacteriocin for 25 successive growth cycles. It was concluded that the class IIa bacteriocin-resistant phenotype of L. monocytogenes B73 is unlikely to become stable in natural populations based on this evidence. Due to the possibility of variations in the frequencies of spontaneous mutation and fitness among Listeria strains, however, the extrapolation of these results to the species as a whole should not be made.
INTRODUCTIONthe class IIa group is apparent, while bacteriocins belonging to other classes are not protected against (Rekhif et al. 1994). Bacteriocins are proteinaceous anti-competitor toxins, pro-The ecology of resistance to antimicrobial compounds has duced by bacteria, that act against the same or closely related been investigated with respect to many commonly used traspecies (Jack et al. 1995 ; Nes et al. 1996). The class II ditional antibiotics, such as tetracycline, because of the medibacteriocins are a subset of these compounds, which are cal significance of the spread of such resistance (Johnson and characteristically small, heat-stable, cationic peptides, proAdams 1992). Little, however, is known about the ecology of duced by lactic acid bacteria (Klaenhammer 1993). Class IIa resistance to bacteriocins and other antimicrobial peptides bacteriocins, such as the leucocins produced by members of (Frank 1994 ; Dykes 1995). With an increased interest in the the genus Leuconostoc, exhibit inhibitory activity against the commercial application of bacteriocins as biopreservatives (de important foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes Vuyst and Vandamme 1994), investigations into the ecology (Hastings et al. 1991 ;Klaenhammer 1993 ; Felix et al. 1994).of resistance to these compounds is important to assess the The development of spontaneous L. monocytogenes mutants, potential for spread of resistance in natural populations. In resistant to class IIa bacteriocins such as mesenterocin 52 and this study the fitness costs associated with class IIa bacteriocin pediocin AcH, have been reported (Larsen and No Ârrung resistance in L. monocytogenes was investigated, along with 1993 ; Noerlis and Ray 1994 ;Rekhif et al. 1994). The mechimplications this has for the spread of resistance in popuanism of resistance to bacteriocins such as nisin, which lations of this pathogen. belongs to the class I bacteriocins or lantibiotics, have been investigated widely and...