FIGURE 9.

Bovine lactoferrin binds and degrades DNA, decreasing transformation and recombination frequencies of Streptococcus pneumoniae. S. pneumoniae D39 DNA was mixed with bovine Lactoferrin or albumin (40 μM) for 15 min. An electrophoretic mobility shift assay was done and was separated with 2% agarose gel (A). The mix of DNA-LF or DNA-albumin were also measured every 10 min using nanodrop (B). Competent S. pneumoniae D39 was mixed with DNA and CSP 1 in the presence or absence of bLF and incubated at 37°C for 2 h. Transformation frequencies were calculated (C). Bioreactor chambers with D39^tet and TIGR4^str were co-incubated for 8 h in the presence of bLF (40 and 80 μM) or were left untreated. Bacteria were then counted and the recombination frequencies were calculated (D). Standard deviation of the mean is shown. Asterisks indicate statistical significance calculated using the ANOVA test (p < 0.05).