| colicin | <pharmacology> A group of antibiotics naturally produced by the bacteria Escherichia coli which kills other bacteria by a variety of methods (depending on the type), such as blocking protein synthesis and degrading DNA. Colicins are encoded by a group of naturally occurring E. Coli plasmids, like Col E1. Colicins E2 and E3 are AB toxins with DNAase and RNAase activity respectively. most other colicins are channel forming transmembrane peptides. Coded on plasmids which can be transferred at conjugation. (13 Oct 1997) |
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| colicin factors | Plasmids determining the potentiality of a bacterium to produce colicins. They are cytoplasmic elements whose integration into the bacterial chromosome has not been demonstrated except for the col b and col v factors. (12 Dec 1998) |
| colicinogeny | <microbiology> The bacterial property of producing a colicin. (05 Mar 2000) |
| colicins | Bacteriocins elaborated by strains of escherichia coli and related species. They are proteins or protein-lipopolysaccharide complexes lethal to other strains of the same species. (12 Dec 1998) |