= Bacteriocin
A <bacteriocin> is an antimicrobial <peptide> or <protein> produced by <bacteria> that acts against susceptible bacterial strains. The category describes a biological product and its antibacterial action; susceptibility depends on both the product and the target.<Bacteriocins in NLM MeSH>[D001430; original descriptor scope note]{ref}
<Colicin E1> supplies a concrete mechanistic example. An experiment compared the complete <protein> with its <C-terminus> fragment in artificial <lipid bilayers>. Similar channel properties in the two forms localized pore-forming activity to that region. Membrane association could occur without the <membrane potential> needed for conducting channels to form.<Comparison of the macroscopic and single channel conductance properties of colicin E1 and its COOH-terminal tryptic peptide by J. O. Bullock and others>[Abstract; fragment comparison and potential dependence]{ref}
The experiment shows how to separate delivery, attachment and action of a bacterial product. It establishes a channel mechanism for the tested <Colicin E1> system; the class name <bacteriocin> does not assign that same mechanism to every member. A growth-inhibition observation alone would not identify which molecular step caused the inhibition.
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