The Bacteriocinogenic Potential of Marine Microorganisms

One of the modern antibacterial strategies to control various infectious pathogens in agriculture, veterinary medicine, and the food industry is the use of bacteriocins, which are potent antimicrobial peptides produced by almost all species of bacteria. The wide distribution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, as well as the increasing awareness of the importance of the normal human biocenosis for health, necessitates the study of this new class of antimicrobial agents, whose application is recognized an alternative strategy for the treatment of infectious diseases. Among diverse marine organisms, bacteria are considered the most numerous. They are a promising source of bacteriocins, which play an important role in regulating competitive interactions in marine microbial systems. In the marine environment, with its high competition for space and resources, bacteria produce more potent bacteriocins than those isolated from other ecosystems. The scientific substantiation of the relevance of the research on the biological properties of these peptides is associated with the prospect of industrial cultivation of their producers in maricultures, as well as with the use of bacteriocins for medical and veterinary purposes.