Antibiosis of Pediocin-Producing Pediococcus sp. KCA1303-10 Against Listeria monocytogenes in Mixed Cultures

Pediocin K1 is a bacteriocin produced by Pediococcus sp. KCA 1303-10, isolated from traditionally fermented flatfish in Korea. Pediocin K1-dependent antibiosis and pediocin K1-independent antibiosis against Listeria monocyrogenes were investigated by comparing antibiosis potential of the ped＋ wild-type strain of Pediococcus sp. KCA1303-10 with that of the ped- mutant strain in 3 different media at 3 different temperatures. In the synthetic MRS-APT medium, bacteriocin (pediocin K1)-dependent antibiosis (BDA) acted as the major driving force of overall antibiosis at the initial stage before the pH of the media was not sufficiently lowered, while bacteriocin-independent antibiosis (BIA) took over the major role at the late stage of antibiosis by killing otherwise resistant cells in the modium. The role of BDA increased as the temperature of the system decreased. The antibiosis potential of BDA among the overall antibiosis of Pediococcus against Listeria at $37^{\circ}C$ was calculated as 46%, and as 75% at $25^{\circ}C$. In the skim milk medium, antibiosis of Pediococcus against Listeria was weakened more than 4 log cycles compared to that of the synthetic medium; however, BDA worked as the main antibiosis force regardless of the culturing temperature in the skim milk medium. In the bean soup medium, BDA also worked as the major killing mechanism against Listeria, but BIA played as another suppressing mechanism against otherwise pediocin-resistant Listeria population. These results suggest that a large portion of the inhibitory action of the ped+Pediococcus sp. KCA1303-10 was attributable to the bacteriocin produced by the strain and that viable Pediococcus sp. KCA1303-10 was superior to the purified bacteriocin in suppressing the occurrence of the bacteriocin-resistant Listeria monocytogenes in food systems.