[Fusion expression of a peptide antibiotic-apidaecin gene in Lactococcus lactis].

The ubiquitin fusion of apidaecin was expressed in Lactococcus lactis, using a novel nisin-inducible expression system. After induction, a specific band could be detected in the extracts of the host strain by Tricine-SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Production of the fusion was up to 7.2% of the total soluble protein of the host strain. While the fusion was cut by ubiquitin specific protease-UBP1, the product had distinct antibacterial activity.