Polyphasic investigation of the diversity within Lactobacillus plantarum related strains revealed two L. plantarum subgroups

The diversity of 140 strains related to Lactobacillus plantarum was investigated using a polyphasic approach combining two molecular techniques: randomly amplified polymorphic DNA fingerprinting (RAPD) and Southern hybridisation with a pyr probe on BglI digests of chromosomal DNA, as well as phenotypic characterization. The RAPD technique allowed us to classify a subset of 60 representative strains into four groups. One group belonged to Lactobacillus paraplantarum, the second to Lactobacillus pentosus and the two remaining groups to L. plantarum (G(L)p1 and G(L)p2). The Southern hybridisation technique (F. Bringel, M.-C. Curk and J.-C. Hubert, Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 46: 588-594, 1996) revealed nine groups of profiles (I to IX). Results indicated an excellent convergence between RAPD and hybridisation classifications for more than 93% (56/60) of the strains studied. When we compared the fermentation patterns of the L. plantarum strains, three differences were found. Melezitose fermentation was not fermented by the G(L)p2 RAPD group, unlike the G(L)p1 RAPD group which included L. plantarum type strain NCIMB11974T. Second, alpha-methyl-D-mannoside was fermented by a majority of the strains of the G(L)p1 RAPD group but by none of the strains in the G(L)p2 RAPD group. Third, dulcitol was catabolized by nearly half of the strains of the G(L)p2 RAPD group but by none of the strains in the G(L)p1 RAPD group. Molecular diversity within L. plantarum was confirmed using Southern profiles, PCR amplification and subsequent sequencing of these PCR products. A 773 bp sequence overlapping the pyrDF genes showed high homology: at least 97% identical in L. plantarum strains (V to IX) and 99.9% identical in hybridisation groups VII and VIII. The same G-T transversion which destroyed the pyrF BglI site was found in 11 strains (hybridisation groups VI, VII and VIII). DNA rearrangements were identified downstream from the pyr genes, by PCR amplification and Southern hybridisation profile analysis in three strains of hybridisation groups VIII and IX, two of which also harboured the G-T transversion.     

Development of an amylolytic Lactobacillus plantarum silage strain expressing the Lactobacillus amylovorus alpha-amylase gene.

An amylolytic Lactobacillus plantarum silage strain with the starch-degrading ability displayed by Lactobacillus amylovorus was developed. An active fragment of the gene coding for alpha-amylase production in L. amylovorus was cloned and integrated into the chromosome of the competitive inoculant strain L. plantarum Lp80 at the cbh locus. The alpha-amylase gene fragment was also introduced into L. plantarum Lp80 on an autoreplicative plasmid. Both constructions were also performed in the laboratory strain L. plantarum NCIB8826. All four recombinant strains secreted levels of amylase ranging from 23 to 69 U/liter, compared with 47 U/liter for L. amylovorus. Secretion levels were higher in L. plantarum NCIB8826 than in L. plantarum Lp80 derivatives and were higher in recombinant strains containing autoreplicative plasmids than in the corresponding integrants. The L. plantarum Lp80 derivative containing the L. amylovorus alpha-amylase gene fragment integrated into the host chromosome secreted alpha-amylase to a level comparable to that of L. amylovorus and was stable over 50 generations of growth under nonselective conditions. It grew to a higher cell density than either the parent strain or L. amylovorus in MRS medium containing a mixture of starch and glucose as the fermentable carbohydrate source. This recombinant alpha-amylolytic L. plantarum strain would therefore seem to have considerable potential as a silage inoculant for crops such as alfalfa, in which water-soluble carbohydrate levels are frequently low but starch is present as an alternative carbohydrate source.     

The Lactobacillus plantarum strain ACA-DC287 isolated from a Greek cheese demonstrates antagonistic activity in vitro and in vivo against Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

AIMS: The purpose of this study was to investigate the antibacterial activity of the Xynotyri cheese isolate Lactobacillus plantarum ACA-DC287 using a set of in vitro and in vivo assays. METHODS AND RESULTS: The co-culture of L. plantarum strain ACA-DC287 and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium strain SL1344 results in the killing of the pathogen. The killing activity was produced mainly by non-lactic acid molecule(s) that were present in the cell-free culture supernatant of the L. plantarum strain ACA-DC287. The culture of the L. plantarum strain ACA-DC287 inhibited the penetration of S. typhimurium SL1344 into cultured human enterocyte-like Caco-2/TC7 cells. In conventional mice infected with S. typhimurium SL1344, the intake of L. plantarum strain ACA-DC287 results in a decrease in the levels of Salmonella associated with intestinal tissues or those present in the intestinal contents. In germ-free mice, the L. plantarum strain ACA-DC287 colonized the gastrointestinal tract. CONCLUSIONS: The L. plantarum strain ACA-DC287 strain exerts anti-Salmonella activity similar that of the established probiotic strains Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, Lactobacillus casei Shirota YIT9029 and Lactobacillus johnsonii La1. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The observation that a selected cheese Lactobacillus strain exerted antibacterial activity that was similar to those of probiotic Lactobacillus strains, is of interest for the use of this strain as an adjunct strain for the production of health-giving cheeses.     

Reciprocal effect of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Lactobacillus on their cytadhesion

Reciprocal effect of 4 strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae and 6 Lactobacillus strains on their cytadhesion in mixed populations was studied on a model of formalinized human erythrocytes. The Lactobacillus strains included 2 strains of Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei, 2 strains of L. plantarum and 2 strains of L. fermentum. It was shown that adhesion of both the Klebsiella and the Lactobacillus strains changed under their reciprocal effect. The changes were characterized by the strain differences and depended on the quantitative ratio of the microorganisms.     

Plasmid profiles and transfer of plasmid-encoded antibiotic resistance in Lactobacillus plantarum

Plasmids were visualized in strains of Lactobacillus plantarum by use of a rapid method. Plasmids pIP501 and pAM beta 1 were transferred by conjugation from Streptococcus strains to Lactobacillus plantarum, and recipient strains were shown to act as donors in crosses to S. lactis. Attempts to transfer these plasmids between strains of L. plantarum were not successful.     

Fructooligosaccharides metabolism and effect on bacteriocin production in Lactobacillus strains isolated from ensiled corn and molasses

Fructo- (FOS) and galacto-oligosaccharides have been used to promote the growth of probiotics, mainly those from Lactobacillus genus. However, only few reports have evaluated the effect of prebiotics on bacteriocins activity and production. In this work, we characterized the effect of FOS supplementation on the growth, lactic and acetic acids production, and antimicrobial activity of crude extracts obtained from Lactobacillus strains isolated from ensiled corn and molasses. Seven out of 28 isolated Lactobacillus, belonging to Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Lactobacillus brevis, showed antimicrobial activity against Listeria innocua. Among them, the strain L. plantarum LE5 showed antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes and Enteroccocus faecalis; while the L. plantarum LE27 strain showed antimicrobial effect against L. monocytogenes, E. faecalis, Escherichia coli and Salmonella enteritidis. This antimicrobial activity in most of the cases was obtained only after FOS supplementation. In summary, these results show the feasibility to increase the antimicrobial activity of Lactobacillus bacteriocins by supplementing the growth medium with FOS.     

Characterization of Lactobacillus sakei by the type of stereoisomers of lactic acid produced

Lactobacillus sakei strains were characterized by the shift of the type of stereoisomers of lactic acid produced in the presence of 50 mM sodium acetate in a medium. Of 27 Lactobacillus sakei strains studied, 20 strains showed high levels of DNA-DNA similarity with L. sakei NRIC 1071(T), and were confirmed as L. sakei. The three remaining strains were identified as Lactobacillus curvatus by DNA-DNA similarity, and three other strains were included in the cluster of Lactobacillus plantarum/Lactobacillus pentosus/Lactobacillus paraplantarum and one strain in the cluster of Lactobacillus paracasei on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequences. Of the 20 L. sakei strains, 19 strains shifted the type of stereoisomers of lactic acid produced from the DL-type to the L-type in the presence of 50 mM sodium acetate. L. curvatus strains and strains included in the cluster of L. plantarum/L. pentosus/L. paraplantarum and in the cluster of L. paracasei did not shift the type of stereoisomers of lactic acid produced. The change of the type of stereoisomers of lactic acid from the DL-type to the L-type in the presence of sodium acetate was concluded to be species-specific for L. sakei and useful for identification of strains in this species.     

Plasmid profiles and transfer of plasmid-encoded antibiotic resistance in Lactobacillus plantarum.

Plasmids were visualized in strains of Lactobacillus plantarum by use of a rapid method. Plasmids pIP501 and pAM beta 1 were transferred by conjugation from Streptococcus strains to Lactobacillus plantarum, and recipient strains were shown to act as donors in crosses to S. lactis. Attempts to transfer these plasmids between strains of L. plantarum were not successful.     

Exploring Lactobacillus plantarum genome diversity by using microarrays

Lactobacillus plantarum is a versatile and flexible species that is encountered in a variety of niches and can utilize a broad range of fermentable carbon sources. To assess if this versatility is linked to a variable gene pool, microarrays containing a subset of small genomic fragments of L. plantarum strain WCFS1 were used to perform stringent genotyping of 20 strains of L. plantarum from various sources. The gene categories with the most genes conserved in all strains were those involved in biosynthesis or degradation of structural compounds like proteins, lipids, and DNA. Conversely, genes involved in sugar transport and catabolism were highly variable between strains. Moreover, besides the obvious regions of variance, like prophages, other regions varied between the strains, including regions encoding plantaricin biosynthesis, nonribosomal peptide biosynthesis, and exopolysaccharide biosynthesis. In many cases, these variable regions colocalized with regions of unusual base composition. Two large regions of flexibility were identified between 2.70 and 2.85 and 3.10 and 3.29 Mb of the WCFS1 chromosome, the latter being close to the origin of replication. The majority of genes encoded in these variable regions are involved in sugar metabolism. This functional overrepresentation and the unusual base composition of these regions led to the hypothesis that they represented lifestyle adaptation regions in L. plantarum. The present study consolidates this hypothesis by showing that there is a high degree of gene content variation among L. plantarum strains in genes located in these regions of the WCFS1 genome. Interestingly, based on our genotyping data L. plantarum strains clustered into two clearly distinguishable groups, which coincided with an earlier proposed subdivision of this species based on conventional methods.     

Probiotic properties of Lactobacillus strains isolated from the feces of breast-fed infants and Taiwanese pickled cabbage

This study assessed potential probiotic Lactobacillus strains isolated from the feces of breast-fed infants and from Taiwanese pickled cabbage for their possible use in probiotic fermented foods by evaluating their (i) in vitro adhesive ability, resistance to biotic stress, resistance to pathogenic bacteria, and production of β-galactosidase; (ii) milk technological properties; and (iii) in vivo adhesive ability, intestinal survival and microbial changes during and after treatment. Five Lactobacillus isolates identified as Lactobacillus reuteri F03, Lactobacillus paracasei F08, Lactobacillus rhamnosus F14, Lactobacillus plantarum C06, and Lactobacillus acidophilus C11 that showed resistance to gastric juice and bile salts were selected for further evaluation of their probiotic properties. All the strains demonstrated the ability to adhere to Caco-2 cells, particularly, strain L. plantarum C06 and L. reuteri F03 showed satisfactory abilities, which were similar to that of the reference strain L. rhamnosus GG. The strains L. paracasei F08 and L. acidophilus C11 had the highest β-galactosidase activity. Most of the strains were resistant to aminoglycosides and vancomycin but sensitive to ampicillin, erythromycin, and penicillin. All the 5 strains elicited antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive (Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus) and -negative (Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica) pathogens. Moreover, the strains L. reuteri F03, L. paracasei F08, and L. plantarum C06 could grow rapidly in milk without nutrient supplementation and reached 10? cfu/mL after 24 h of fermentation at 37 °C. The viable cell counts of the 3 strains remained above 10? cfu/mL after 21 d of storage at 4 °C. In the animal feeding trial, the number of intestinal lactobacilli increased significantly after administration of milk fermented with the 3 strains, and the counts of fecal coliforms and Clostridium perfringens were markedly reduced. Lactobacillus strains could also survive in the ileal intestinal tissue of the treated rats. Technologically interesting Lactobacillus isolates may be used in the future as probiotic starter cultures for manufacturing novel fermented foods.     

Differentiation of Lactobacillus plantarum, L. pentosus and L. paraplantarum species by RAPD-PCR and AFLP

Two high-resolution genotypic techniques (RAPD-PCR and AFLP) were evaluated for their possibility to discriminate the species Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus pentosus and Lactobacillus paraplantarum and to type these taxa at the infra-species level. In total 23 strains of L. plantarum, three strains of L. pentosus, two strains of L. paraplantarum and two related strains for which the species assignment was not clear, were studied. For RAPD-PCR, suitable oligonucleotides and amplification conditions were selected and tested. For AFLP, a double digest of total genomic DNA was used and a subset of restriction fragments was selectively amplified and visualised using different primer combinations. Both methodologies generated, species-specific electrophoretic profiles. Moreover, the presence of distinct subgroups was revealed within the species L. plantarum.     

Intraspecies discrimination of Lactobacillus paraplantarum by PCR

Lactobacillus paraplantarum is a species phenotypically close to Lactobacillus plantarum. Several PCR methods were evaluated to discriminate L. paraplantarum strains and among them, a PCR using an enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC) sequence differentiated L. paraplantarum from other Lactobacillus species. In addition, a combination of ERIC and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis distinguished among seven strains of L. paraplantarum tested. ERIC-PCR profiles showed several strain-specific DNA fragments in L. paraplantarum, among them, a 2.2-kb ERIC marker, termed LpF1, found to be specific to strain FBA1, which improved the skin integrity in an animal model. The LpF1 encodes three proteins similar to Lactobacillus fermentum AroA, TyrA, and AroK, which are involved in the shikimate pathway. A primer pair specific to FBA1 based on the internal sequence of LpF1 amplified a 950-bp FBA1-specific fragment LpF2. Southern blot analysis of Dra I-digested genomic DNA of L. paraplantarum strains using LpF2 as a probe showed that LpF2 is distinctive of strain FBA1 among 16 L. paraplantarum strains. Because both ERIC- and RAPD-PCR are fast and technically simple methods, they are useful for the rapid discrimination of L. paraplantarum strains and for the development of new strain-specific DNA markers for identifying industrially important strains.     

Conjugal plasmid transfer (pAM beta 1) in Lactobacillus plantarum

The streptococcal plasmid pAM beta 1 (erythromycin resistance) was transferred via conjugation from Streptococcus faecalis to Lactobacillus plantarum and was transferred among L. plantarum strains. Streptococcus sanguis Challis was transformed with pAM beta 1 isolated from these transconjugants, and transformants harboring intact pAM beta 1 could conjugate the plasmid back to L. plantarum.     

植物乳杆菌粘附性与其表面特征关系的探究

本文通过16s rDNA鉴定获得4株植物乳杆菌,并以HT29细胞为体外黏附筛选模型,进一步探讨了这些菌株粘附能力与表面疏水性、自聚共聚能力等表型特征的相关性。结果表明,植物乳杆菌AR326菌株对HT29细胞的粘附性最强,并显示高度的自聚性(25%)和共聚性(25%),但其表面疏水性偏低(15%);通过相关性分析发现,植物乳杆菌的自聚性和共聚性与HT29细胞粘附性呈显著相关性(r=1.0和0.8,p0.05),但表面疏水性、自凝聚性和共聚性两两之间并无显著相关性(p0.05)。本研究结果为建立快速筛选高粘附性植物乳杆菌的方法及其菌株在体内定植和分布研究提供一定参考依据。     

Technological and molecular diversity of Lactobacillus plantarum strains isolated from naturally fermented sourdoughs

Thirty Lactobacillus (L.) plantarum strains, isolated from sourdough, were identified by biochemical tests as well as 16S rDNA sequencing and differentiated on the basis of technological properties, such as amylase, protease, phytase and antirope activities. These properties were shown to be widely differing among the strains, indicating a significant technological diversity. Genetic differentiation was achieved by restriction endonuclease analysis-pulsed field gel electrophoresis (REA-PFGE) that allowed the L. plantarum strains to be divided into 10 different genomic groups. Moreover, 32 different starters were employed in dough making experiments; each starter consisted of a single strain of L. plantarum associated with a maltose positive or a maltose negative yeast. The technological properties of the doughs were greatly influenced by the type of strain included in the starter. The time of leavening and the acidification activities detected in the dough were enhanced by the presence of L. plantarum strains. The bacterial and yeast contents and fermentation properties were statistically treated by principal component analysis (PCA), which allowed the discrimination of different typologies of dough. The study of the peculiar characteristics of different strains of L. plantarum is fundamental for a better understanding of their potential in affecting the nutritional value, quality and stability of the baked goods. L. plantarum strains are able to differentially influence the dough quality when employed as starters.     

Conjugal plasmid transfer (pAM beta 1) in Lactobacillus plantarum.

The streptococcal plasmid pAM beta 1 (erythromycin resistance) was transferred via conjugation from Streptococcus faecalis to Lactobacillus plantarum and was transferred among L. plantarum strains. Streptococcus sanguis Challis was transformed with pAM beta 1 isolated from these transconjugants, and transformants harboring intact pAM beta 1 could conjugate the plasmid back to L. plantarum.     

Characterization of a gram-positive broad-host-range plasmid isolated from Lactobacillus hilgardii

Two plasmids, pLAB1000 and pLAB2000 (3.3 and 9.1 kb, respectively), have been isolated from a grass silage strain of Lactobacillus hilgardii. Both plasmids were cloned in Escherichia coli and characterized through restriction mapping. A 1.6-kb XbaI-SacI fragment of pLAB1000 appeared to be sufficient for autonomous replication in Lactobacillus plantarum and in Bacillus subtilis. Different shuttle vectors for E. coli and gram-positive bacteria were developed using the pLAB1000 plasmid. These could stably be maintained in Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus under selective conditions. Plasmids sharing DNA homologies with pLAB1000 have been observed in different strains of the related species L. plantarum.     

设计乳杆菌特异性引物并运用菌落PCR技术快速检出和鉴定四川泡菜中的乳杆菌

乳杆菌(Lactobacillus)是益生菌, 也是当前的研究热点之一。研究泡菜等样品中的乳杆菌需要快速的检出方法。根据已完成全基因组测序的14种乳杆菌的16S rDNA序列, 设计一对乳杆菌特异性引物。PCR检测结果表明该引物对乳杆菌和明串珠菌能扩增出800 bp的片段, 对表皮葡萄球菌、乳酸乳球菌和枯草芽胞杆菌却没有扩增条带, 具有一定的乳杆菌特异性。结合MRS乳杆菌半选择培养基和革兰氏染色, 运用菌落PCR技术, 可以快速高效地检出四川泡菜中的乳杆菌。再通过对PCR扩增片段测序, 可以将乳杆菌鉴定到种。从16份四川泡菜样品中检出了15株乳杆菌, 其中14株被鉴定为植物乳杆菌, 1株需进一步鉴定才能确定种。该方法可以检出乳杆菌新种。     

Antibacterial activity of Lactobacillus sake isolated from meat

A total of 221 strains of Lactobacillus isolated from meat and meat products were screened for antagonistic activities under conditions that eliminated the effects of organic acids and hydrogen peroxide. Nineteen strains of Lactobacillus sake, three strains of Lactobacillus plantarum, and one strain of Lactobacillus curvatus were shown to inhibit the growth of some other lactobacilli in an agar spot test; and cell-free supernatants from 6 of the 19 strains of L. sake exhibited inhibitory activity against indicator organisms. Comparison of the antimicrobial spectra of the supernatants suggested that the inhibitory compounds were not identical. One of the six strains, L. sake Lb 706, was chosen for further study. The compound excreted by L. sake Lb 706 was active against various lactic acid bacteria and Listeria monocytogenes. Its proteinaceous nature, narrow inhibitory spectrum, and bactericidal mode of action indicated that this substance is a bacteriocin, which we designated sakacin A. Curing experiments with two bacteriocin-producing strains of L. sake resulted in mutants that lacked both bacteriocin activity and immunity to the bacteriocin. Plasmid profile analysis of L. sake Lb 706 and two bacteriocin-negative variants of this strain indicated that a plasmid of about 18 megadaltons may be involved in the formation of bacteriocin and immunity to this antibacterial compound. In mixed culture, the bacteriocin-sensitive organisms were killed after the bacteriocin-producing strain reached maximal cell density, whereas there was no decrease in cell number in the presence of the bacteriocin-negative variant.