Effect of chemotype on Escherichia coli interactions with bactericidal proteins.

We studied the effects of bactericidal proteins (lysozyme and lactoferrin) on endotoxin release from cell wall and inhibition of the growth of Escherichia coli colonies of different chemotypes. The structure of LPS core was found to be essential for the mechanisms of the interactions of the studied proteins with the cell wall. Cell viability after contact with cationic proteins is determined not by the amount of released LPS, but by the mechanism of damage to the cell wall.