Main description:

Microbes produce an extraordinary array of defense systems. These include bacteriocins, a class of antimicrobial molecules with narrow killing spectra, produced by bacteria. The book describes the diversity and ecological role of bacteriocins of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, presenting a new classification scheme for the former and a state-of-the-art look at the role of bacteriocins in bacterial communication. It discusses the molecular evolution of colicins and colicin-like bacteriocins, and provides a contemporary overview of archaeocins, bacteriocin-like antimicrobials produced by archaebacteria. Furthermore, various modeling (in silico) studies elucidate the role of bacteriocins in microbial community dynamics and fitness, delving into rock-paper-scissors competition and the counter-intuitive survival of the weakest. The book makes compelling reading for a multi-faceted scientific audience, including those working in the fields of biodiversity and biotechnology, notably in the human and animal health domain.

Feature:

Fascinating story about the evolutionary histories of bacteriocins and the ecological roles of these biological weapons in microbial communities

Of utmost interest because of the potential utility in human and animal health applications, and agricultural uses

Contents:

1 Introduction Margaret A. Riley 2 The Diversity of Bacteriocins in Gram-negative Bacteria David Gordon, Elizabeth Oliver, and Jane Littlefield-Wyer 3 Molecular Evolution of Bacteriocins in Gram-negative Bacteria Milind Chavan and Margaret A. Riley 4 The Diversity of Bacteriocins produced by Gram-positive Bacteria Nicholas C. K. Heng, Philip A. Wescombe, Jeremy P. Burton, Ralph W. Jack, and John R. Tagg 5 Peptide and Protein Antibiotics from the Domain Archaea: Halocins and Sulfolobicins Richard F. Shand and Kathryn J. Leyva 6 The Ecological and Evolutionary Dynamics of Model Bacteriocin Communities Benjamin Kerr 7 Bacteriocins Role in Bacterial Communication Osnat Gillor