| Summary: | Fonticins are phage tail-like bacteriocins produced by gram-negative bacterium Pragia fontium from the family Enterobacteriaceae. Phage tail-like bacteriocins can be divided into two different families: flexible ones (F-type) and contractile particles (R-type). Pragia fontium produces R-type particles that adsorb on the surface of sensitive bacterial cell and form pores probably during the contraction using mechanism similar to Type VI Secretion System. The pore-forming activity of fonticins was tested in vivo using bacterial cells. It was also characterized in vitro on artificial lipid membranes. On Black Lipid Membranes fonticins create large channels into the membranes; single channel conductance (G) is about two times higher than single channel conductance of well known α-hemolysine produced by Staphylococcus aureus. Further, we tested the voltage-dependent blocking of fonticin pores by native and unfolded proteins, dsDNA, ssDNA, polyethylene glycol and diamond nanoparticles. The rigid structure of fonticin nanotube in combination with constant conductivity makes it a promising device for analysing the size and shape of nanoparticles and large macromolecules. Key words: fonticin, bacteriocine, nanopore, Pragia fontium, blocking, pore-forming activity, black lipid membranes.
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