Understanding the Molecular Targets of Broccoli Extract on Escherichia coli through the Use of an Extensive Mutant Library

Understanding of the molecular mechanisms of food processes and antimicrobial compounds is essential for the efficient elimination of pathogens from foods or other environments. Various foods are known to possess antimicrobial properties that can influence microorganisms that might be present on them, on the foods that will be added, or in the gut microbiota. Knowledge of the actual compounds responsible for these effects and their mode of action are essential for understanding biological processes that affect our health. We could even use these compounds for other applications. One of the foods that possess such properties is broccoli. This food contains sulforaphane, which has antimicrobial activity. To identify the mechanism of sulforaphane, we assessed the growth of a full mutant library of Escherichia coli against various concentrations of sulforaphane. Specific mutants that were identified to have a different behavior than the wild type (WT) were selected for further susceptibility tests. The work identified specific genes that play a role in survival against sulforaphane and the molecular targets of this compound.