Search and Selection of Bacteriocin-Producing Strains of Marine Bacteria in the Aquatic Ecosystems of the Sea of Japan

Abstract—Given the increasing antibiotic resistance of pathogenic bacteria, alternative antimicrobial strategies are being investigated. One promising area is the study of the antibacterial activity of bacteriocins, special peptides produced by bacteria, which play an important role in regulating the competitive inter- and intraspecific relationships in natural microbial systems. Marine microorganisms are a rich and promising source of bacteriocins. Marine ecosystems contain a huge variety of organisms, up to 90% of which are bacteria living in highly competitive and extreme conditions. Isolation and study of the antibacterial activity of bacteriocins of marine origin is a promising and unexplored area of innovative biotechnology. This article presents the results of a pilot study on the search and selection of bacteriocin-producing strains of marine bacteria from ecosystems of the Sea of Japan. Pseudoalteromonas elyakovii, Cobetia amphilecti, Paraglaciecola mesophila, and Idiomarina abyssalis clusters contain genes similar to Escherichia coli K12: J62 DNA, which are involved in the biosynthesis of colicins (microcin V MccV). This suggests a bacteriocinogenic potential of the studied strains of marine bacteria. The subsequent isolation and study of biological activity of these peptides will make it possible to draw a conclusion about the biological properties and mechanisms of the antagonistic action of these important compounds and the prospects for their use in industrial breeding of seafood (mariculture), as well as for medical and veterinary purposes.