Aim: Characterization of morphologic changes in listeria cells under the effect of metabolites of human intestine microflora enterococci.
Materials and methods: Culture of Listeria monocytogenes 88-BK cells was cultivated in the presence of enterococci waste products (experiment) or without them (control). The samples obtained were studied by atomic-force microscopy (AFM) in contact mode using scanning probe microscope SMM-2000.
Results: The character of morpho-functional reaction of indicator culture bacterial cells allows to assume the presence of cationic anti-microbial peptides with membrane-lytic mechanism of action in 30% of the studied enterococci strains.
Conclusion: The use of atomic-force microscopy allows to detail the mechanisms of anti-microbial activity of bacteriocins of intestine microflora microorganisms against target bacteria under close to native conditions.