{
  "abstract": "Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O104:H4 is a highly virulent foodborne pathogen for which antibiotic therapy is contraindicated, severely restricting conventional treatment options; therefore, the development of novel antimicrobial strategies is essential. This study investigated the antibacterial activity and gut microbiota-modulating effects of plantaricin JK (PlnJK), a two-peptide bacteriocin from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum. Chemically synthesized PlnJK exhibited a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 32 M against E. coli O104:H4, disrupting membrane integrity as evidenced by increased extracellular conductivity, ATP depletion, and ultrastructural damage. In an in vitro fecal fermentation model, PlnJK reduced Escherichia-Shigella abundance from 36.70% to 30.60% which contains E. coli O104:H4-related taxa, enriched Clostridium (5.70% vs 2.40% in infection group), Rikenellaceae, and Lactobacillaceae, and significantly elevated short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels including butyrate (p < 0.01) and isovalerate (p < 0.05). To translate this into a deliverable format, CRISPR-Cas9-engineered L. plantarum strains with plnJK knockout, complementation, and overexpression were constructed. Compared with the chemically synthesized peptide, LAB-derived PlnJK--especially from the overexpression strain--showed superior efficacy in restoring microbial diversity and enhancing SCFA production, significantly increased Shannon index and reduced dominance (p < 0.01), while promoting butyrate (p < 0.01) and isovalerate (p < 0.01) production compared to the knockout control. The engineered strains further revealed a clear dose-dependent effect, as overexpression potentiated while knockout abolished the beneficial modulation. These findings demonstrate that PlnJK acts through membrane disruption and beneficially modulates gut microecology, with LAB-mediated in situ delivery offering a promising strategy for anti-EHEC live biotherapeutic development.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Zhejiang Gongshang University"
  ],
  "article_type": "New results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 10,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "S. Wang"
    },
    {
      "name": "J. Yan"
    },
    {
      "name": "B. Yu"
    },
    {
      "name": "N. Ding"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "X. Li"
    },
    {
      "name": "S. Wang"
    },
    {
      "name": "J. Jiang"
    },
    {
      "name": "X. Zhao"
    },
    {
      "name": "Q. Gu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "P. Li"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ctbx8n85q0ts9.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.10.20.760378",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.20.760378v1.full",
  "id": "ctbx8n85q0ts9",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.20.760378v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "microbiology"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1106|Probiotics and Fermented Foods"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223208103",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.20.760378v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-20",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ctbx8n85q0ts9.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:29:12Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.10.20.760378",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.20.760378v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "biorxiv:microbiology",
      "subfield": "microbiology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Plantaricin JK from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ZJ316 inhibits enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O104:H4 and alters fecal microbial communities in vitro",
  "title_text": "Plantaricin JK from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ZJ316 inhibits enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O104:H4 and alters fecal microbial communities in vitro",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:29:12Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ctbx8n85q0ts9",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}