CORRELATION OF BIOENERGETIC PARAMETERS WITH CELL-DEATH IN LISTERIA-MONOCYTOGENES CELLS EXPOSED TO NISIN

In Listeria monocytogenes, nisin induced ATP efflux, reduced the intra cellular ATP concentration within 1 min, and dissipated the proton mot ive force within 2 min. Efflux accounted for only 20% of the ATP deple tion, suggesting that ATP hydrolysis also occurred. ATP efflux depende d on nisin concentration and followed saturation kinetics. These resul ts suggest that nisin breaches the membrane permeability barrier in a manner more consistent with pore formation than with a nonspecific det ergent-like membrane destabilization.