[The association of pigment-containing lipid and low-molecular bacteriocin of Erwinia carotovora].

In contrast to lysates of uninduced cells those of E. carotovora J2/S2 induced by nalidixic acid contain the component which has the additional maximum of UV-absorption at 331 nm. Bacteriocin samples, concentrated by ammonium sulfate and purified on DEAE-sepharose column in saccharose gradient do not lose this substance. This component is supposed to represent the precursor of carotenoid synthesis of E. carotovora. The chloroform treatment of the bacteriocin preparation did not affect its killer activity against both E. carotovora and Escherichia coli. Its chloroform extract has the greatest killer activity against E. coli BE cells and as a result has two additional maximums of UV-absorption at 315 and 331 nm. The pronase treatment at 60 degrees C for 5 min resulted in the destruction of the complex and the loss of the killer activity by bacteriocin. Lipase A destroys the complex lipid-bacteriocin. Such disruption of the complex increases with the concentration of lipase A. Chromatography of the disrupted preparations has been performed on the plate Silufor VU 254 using the mixture chloroform: ethanol. As a result the mobility of disrupted preparation was three times higher than that of the native complex. Thus, we have discovered a new type of carotovoricins, which are a stable complex which consists of protein, lipid and pigment, presumably the precursor of carotinoid synthesis.