The membrane topology of immunity proteins for the two-peptide bacteriocins carnobacteriocin XY, lactococcin G, and lactococcin MN shows structural diversity.

The two-peptide bacteriocins produced by Gram-positive bacteria require two different peptides, present in equimolar amounts, to elicit optimal antimicrobial activity. Producer organisms are protected from their bacteriocin by a dedicated immunity protein. The immunity proteins for two-peptide bacteriocins contain putative transmembrane domains (TMDs) and might therefore be associated with the membrane. The immunity protein CbnZ for the two-peptide bacteriocin carnobacteriocin XY (CbnXY) was identified by heterologously expressing the cbnZ gene in sensitive host strains. Using protein topology prediction methods and the dual pho-lac reporter system, we mapped out the membrane topology of CbnZ, along with those of the immunity proteins LagC and LciM for the two-peptide bacteriocins lactococcin G and lactococcin MN, respectively. Our results reveal wide structural variety between these immunity proteins that can contain as little as one TMD or as many as four TMDs.