Generation of Minicells from an Endotoxin-Free Gram-Positive Strain Corynebacterium glutamicum

Drug delivery systems (DDSs) incorporating bacterial minicells have been evaluated as a very powerful tool in view of biocompatibility. However, limited studies have been carried out on these systems, mainly using minicells from Salmonella sp. and Escherichia coli. Thus, we generated a new minicell-producing strain from an endotoxin-free Corynebacterium glutamicum by the inactivation of genes related to cell division. The two knockout strains, Delta parA and Delta ncg11366, showed distinct abilities to produce minicells. The resulting minicells were purified via sequential antibiotic treatments and centrifugations, which resulted in reproducible yields.