COLICINES Meaning and
Definition
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Colicines are a group of bacteriocins that are produced by certain strains of bacteria known as colicinogenic bacteria. Bacteriocins are proteinaceous toxins that can inhibit the growth or kill closely related bacteria. They function as a form of competition between bacterial strains, providing a selective advantage to the producing strain in specific ecological niches.
Colicines, specifically, are produced by colicinogenic bacteria commonly found in the Enterobacteriaceae family, such as Escherichia coli. These protein toxins have the ability to target and kill other bacteria within the same or related species. Colicines have been credited with playing a role in shaping bacterial populations and facilitating ecological stability.
The mode of action of colicines typically involves disruption of various cellular processes, such as inhibition of DNA, RNA, or protein synthesis. They can exert their toxic effects by creating pores in the target cell's membrane, altering membrane potential, or enzymatic degradation of crucial cellular components. Importantly, colicines often possess receptor specificity, which allows them to bind to specific receptors on the target cell’s surface for maximum effectiveness.
Colicines have received scientific attention due to their potential therapeutic applications, as they can selectively target harmful bacteria while sparing beneficial ones. Additionally, understanding their mechanisms of action provides valuable insights into fundamental bacterial physiology and host-microbe interactions.
Common Misspellings for COLICINES
- xolicines
- volicines
- folicines
- dolicines
- cilicines
- cklicines
- cllicines
- cplicines
- c0licines
- c9licines
- cokicines
- copicines
- cooicines
- colucines
- coljcines
- colkcines
- colocines
- col9cines
- col8cines
- colixines
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