Abstract
In 1994, a new bacteriocin, enterocin AS-48, produced by Enterococcus faecalis subsp. liquefaciens S-48, with a cyclic structure arising from a head-to-tail linkage was first discovered. After that, seven research papers concerning cyclic bacteriocins have been presented. In 2003, a new classification system of bacteriocins in which the cyclic bacteriocins are “class V” was proposed. Structural and genetic characteristics and antimicrobial mechanisms are different among the class V bacteriocins, but all of them have high stability against heat and pH and high antimicrobial activity. At present, researches on mechanism of their enzymatic cyclizations which give them their high stability and bioactivity are taking place, and novel utilization of these cyclic bacteriocins in the future is expected.
