Plasmid-linked Galactose Utilization by Lactobacillus acidophilus TK8912

A gramicidin S analog ([Orn^1,1′]GS·4HCl) containing L-oroithine in place of L-valine at the 1,1′ positions was synthesized by the conventional solution method in order to examine whether this analog had antibacterial activity toward Gram-negative bacteria. In the synthesis of [Orn^1,1′]GS·4HCl, two intermediate analogs ([Orn^1,1′, Orn(For)^2,2′]GS·2HCl and [Orn(Z)^1,1′]GS·2HCl) were obtained. [Orn^1,1′]GS·4HCl and [Orn,^1,1′, Orn(For)^2,2′]GS·2HCl showed no activity toward either Gram-negative or Gram-positive bacteria, whereas [Orn(Z)^1,1′]GS 2HCl showed appreciable activity toward only Gram-positive bacteria.     

Mechanism of maltose uptake and glucose excretion in Lactobacillus sanfrancisco.

Lactobacillus sanfrancisco LTH 2581 can use only glucose and maltose as sources of metabolic energy. In maltose-metabolizing cells of L. sanfrancisco, approximately half of the internally generated glucose appears in the medium. The mechanisms of maltose (and glucose) uptake and glucose excretion have been investigated in cells and in membrane vesicles of L. sanfrancisco in which beef heart cytochrome c oxidase had been incorporated as a proton-motive-force-generating system. In the presence of ascorbate, N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine (TMPD), and cytochrome c, the hybrid membranes facilitated maltose uptake against a concentration gradient, but accumulation of glucose could not be detected. Similarly, in intact cells of L. sanfrancisco, the nonmetabolizable glucose analog alpha-methylglucoside was taken up only to the equilibration level. Selective dissipation of the components of the proton and sodium motive force in the hybrid membranes indicated that maltose is transported by a proton symport mechanism. Internal [14C]maltose could be chased with external unlabeled maltose (homologous exchange), but heterologous maltose/glucose exchange could not be detected. Membrane vesicles of L. sanfrancisco also catalyzed glucose efflux and homologous glucose exchange. These activities could not be detected in membrane vesicles of glucose-grown cells. The results indicate that maltose-grown cells of L. sanfrancisco express a maltose-H+ symport and glucose uniport system. When maltose is the substrate, the formation of intracellular glucose can be more rapid than the subsequent metabolism, which leads to excretion of glucose via the uniport system.     

Polymer production by Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus

A polymer-forming strain of Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus was grown under differing conditions. It was found that at higher temperatures and slower growth the production of the polymer per cell was greater. Polymer-producing ability seems to be unstable with cells losing the phenotype faster at 48 than at 40°C. Specific production of polymer was increased in the presence of hydrolysed casein early in the growth phase when growing in milk, but production of polymer in MRS broth + lactose was reduced compared with milk. Furthermore, addition of hydrolysed casein to MRS did not increase specific production of polymer. Preliminary results suggest that the polymer is a glycoprotein, although the protein may be loosely associated with the carbohydrate.     

Shifts in pH affect the maltose/glycerol co-fermentation by Lactobacillus reuteri

In aerated cultures of Lactobacillus reuteri using maltose/glycerol, lactate was the main product followed by acetate at all pH (4.7, 5.5 and 6.5) tested while anaerobic cultures produced 1,3-propanediol besides lactate, acetate and ethanol. 1,3-Propanediol was the main product at pH 5.5 and 6.5. The high amount of acetate and the low concentration of ethanol found in anaerobic cultures was closely related to the synthesis of 1,3-propanediol.     

Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. lactis and ssp. bulgaricus: a chronicle of evolution in action

Background

Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. lactis and ssp. bulgaricus are lactic acid producing bacteria that are largely used in dairy industries, notably in cheese-making and yogurt production. An earlier in-depth study of the first completely sequenced ssp. bulgaricus genome revealed the characteristics of a genome in an active phase of rapid evolution, in what appears to be an adaptation to the milk environment. Here we examine for the first time if the same conclusions apply to the ssp. lactis, and discuss intra- and inter-subspecies genomic diversity in the context of evolutionary adaptation.

Results

Both L. delbrueckii ssp. show the signs of reductive evolution through the elimination of superfluous genes, thereby limiting their carbohydrate metabolic capacities and amino acid biosynthesis potential. In the ssp. lactis this reductive evolution has gone less far than in the ssp. bulgaricus. Consequently, the ssp. lactis retained more extended carbohydrate metabolizing capabilities than the ssp. bulgaricus but, due to high intra-subspecies diversity, very few carbohydrate substrates, if any, allow a reliable distinction of the two ssp. We further show that one of the most important traits, lactose fermentation, of one of the economically most important dairy bacteria, L. delbruecki ssp. bulgaricus, relies on horizontally acquired rather than deep ancestral genes. In this sense this bacterium may thus be regarded as a natural GMO avant la lettre.

Conclusions

The dairy lactic acid producing bacteria L. delbrueckii ssp. lactis and ssp. bulgaricus appear to represent different points on the same evolutionary track of adaptation to the milk environment through the loss of superfluous functions and the acquisition of functions that allow an optimized utilization of milk resources, where the ssp. bulgaricus has progressed further away from the common ancestor.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-407) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Oxygen utilization by Lactobacillus plantarum

Cell-free extracts of Lactobacillus plantarum contain non-proteinaceous compounds which mimic superoxide dismutase activity. Using the test system in which O ₂ ^– is generated by xanthine oxidase, superoxide dismutase activity is found in cell-free extracts, where proteins are removed by precipitation. This activity is strongly decreased after dialysis of cell-free extracts. Superoxide dismutase activity was also investigated by means of pulse radiolysis. Cell-free extracts of Escherichia coli were also investigated as a comparison, which were known to contain superoxide dismutase. With cell-free extracts of both L. plantarum and E. coli the decay of O ₂ ^– was markedly increased. However, the type of reaction of the O ₂ ^– decay was of first order in the presence of E. coli extracts due to superoxide dismutase(s), and of second order in the presence of L. plantarum extracts, indicating that O ₂ ^– elimination is not an enzymic reaction. Mn²⁺ phosphate(s) might be responsible for the observed elimination of O ₂ ^– . The production of O ₂ ^– is not detectable during NADH-, lactate- or pyruvate oxidase reactions in L. plantarum extracts.     

Plasmid-linked drug resistance in Salmonella typhimurium in Kuwait

A total of 143 strains of S. typhimurium isolated from clinical cases in Kuwait were investigated for drug resistance. Multidrug resistance (3 or more drugs) was seen in 76.9% of the strains. The common resistance patterns were ASuT (16), AKSuT (20), ASSuT (14), CKSSuT (14), ACKSSuT (10), ACGKSSuT (15) and ACKGSSuTTm (8). MIC of resistant strains was usually high. Sixteen isolates were examined for the transferability of the resistance. All had R-plasmids, both autotransferable and non-autotransferable which could be mobilised by factor X.     

Oxygen dependent lactate utilization by Lactobacillus plantarum

Lactobacillus plantarum P5 grew aerobically in rich media at the expense of lactate; no growth was observed in the absence of aeration. The oxygen-dependent growth was accompanied by the conversion of lactate to acetate which accumulated in the growth medium. Utilization of oxygen with lactate as substrate was observed in buffered suspensions of washed whole cells and in cell-free extracts. A pathway which accounts for the generation of adenosine triphosphate during aerobic metabolism of lactate to acetate via pyruvate and acetyl phosphate is proposed. Each of the enzyme activities involved, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide independent lactic dehydrogenase, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dependent lactic dehydrogenase, pyruvate oxidase, acetate kinase and NADH oxidase were demonstrated in cell-free extracts. The production of pyruvate, acetyl phosphate and acetate was demonstrated using cell-free extracts and cofactors for the enzymes of the proposed pathway.Abbreviations MRS Man, Rogosa and Sharpe (1960) medium modified as in Materials and methods - TY Tryptone Yeast Extract broth - OUL Oxygen uptake with lactate as substrate - DCPIP 2,6-Dichlorophenolindophenol - LDH Lactic dehydrogenase     

Plasmid-linked Resistance to Inorganic Salts in Staphylococcus aureus

The penicillinase plasmids, a series of extrachromosomal resistance factors in Staphylococcus aureus, were found to carry determinants of resistance to a series of inorganic ions as well as resistance to penicillin and, in some cases, erythromycin. Most of the ions involved were inhibitory but not lethal to the bacteria; the resistance markers conferred an increase in resistance by comparison with susceptible organisms of between 3- and 100-fold, depending on the ion involved. Separate genetic loci for resistance to arsenate, arsenite, lead, cadmium, mercuric, and bismuth ions were demonstrated. Resistance to antimony and resistance to zinc were also found but were not separated genetically from resistance to arsenite and cadmium, respectively. The ion resistance markers appeared to form a cluster on the plasmid, with no other known marker within it. Naturally occurring plasmids were observed that lacked one or more of these ion resistance markers, as well as penicillinase-negative strains that were resistant to one or more of the ions. The patterns of markers carried by these various strains may provide some understanding of the evolution of a plasmid linkage group.     

Crystal structure of maltose phosphorylase from Lactobacillus brevis: unexpected evolutionary relationship with glucoamylases

BACKGROUND: Maltose phosphorylase (MP) is a dimeric enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of maltose and inorganic phosphate into beta-D-glucose-1-phosphate and glucose without requiring any cofactors, such as pyridoxal phosphate. The enzyme is part of operons that are involved in maltose/malto-oligosaccharide metabolism. Maltose phosphorylases have been classified in family 65 of the glycoside hydrolases. No structure is available for any member of this family. RESULTS: We report here the 2.15 A resolution crystal structure of the MP from Lactobacillus brevis in complex with the cosubstrate phosphate. This represents the first structure of a disaccharide phosphorylase. The structure consists of an N-terminal complex beta sandwich domain, a helical linker, an (alpha/alpha)6 barrel catalytic domain, and a C-terminal beta sheet domain. The (alpha/alpha)6 barrel has an unexpected strong structural and functional analogy with the catalytic domain of glucoamylase from Aspergillus awamori. The only conserved glutamate of MP (Glu487) superposes onto the catalytic residue Glu179 of glucoamylase and likely represents the general acid catalyst. The phosphate ion is bound in a pocket facing the carboxylate of Glu487 and is ideally positioned for nucleophilic attack of the anomeric carbon atom. This site is occupied by the catalytic base carboxylate in glucoamylase. CONCLUSIONS: These observations strongly suggest that maltose phosphorylase has evolved from glucoamylase. MP has probably conserved one carboxylate group for acid catalysis and has exchanged the catalytic base for a phosphate binding pocket. The relative positions of the acid catalytic group and the bound phosphate are compatible with a direct-attack mechanism of a glycosidic bond by phosphate, in accordance with inversion of configuration at the anomeric carbon as observed for this enzyme.     

Use of chemostat for selection ofStreptomyces hygroscopicus mutants altered in regulation of maltose utilization

Summary Streptomyces hygroscopicus mutants showing altered fermentation kinetics were isolated using a selection procedure in a chemostat. Several mutants were obtained which differed in their capacity to produce the macrolide antibiotic turimycin.     

Lactic acid production by mixed cultures of Kluyveromyces marxianus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus and Lactobacillus helveticus

Lactic acid production using Kluyveromyces marxianus (IFO 288), Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus (ATCC 11842) and Lactobacillus helveticus (ATCC 15009) individually or as mixed culture on cheese whey in stirred or static fermentation conditions was evaluated. Lactic acid production, residual sugar and cell biomass were the main features examined. Increased lactic acid production was observed, when mixed cultures were used in comparison to individual ones. The highest lactic acid concentrations were achieved when K. marxianus yeast was combined with L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus, and when all the strains were used revealing possible synergistic effects between the yeast and the two lactic acid bacteria. The same synergistic effects were further observed and verified when the mixed cultures were applied in sourdough fermentations, proving that the above microbiological system could be applied in the food fermentations where high lactic acid production is sought.     

唾液乳杆菌抑制镰孢霉的研究

目的 研究唾液乳杆菌抑制产毒镰孢霉的生物学性能,初步探索抑菌机制.方法 以禾谷镰孢霉和尖孢镰孢霉2种典型霉菌为指示菌,唾液乳杆菌为测试对象,对霉菌孢子萌芽、孢子生长和菌丝体生长3个生理阶段进行抑制效应观察.结果 10%的唾液乳杆菌耗尽上清就能抑制83%的禾谷镰孢霉孢子和50%尖孢镰孢霉孢子萌芽;耗尽上清24 h内能显著抑制镰孢霉孢子的生长;96 h内孢霉菌丝体的生长.结论 唾液乳杆菌产生的有机酸对禾谷镰孢霉和尖孢镰孢霉生长起主要抑制作用.     

Presence of an L(+)-lactate dehydrogenase in cells of Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus

Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus ATCC 11842 was cultured in a chemostat and growth conditions were varied as required. Synthesis of L(+)-lactate was observed in all cases as well as activity of L(+)-lactate dehydrogenase in cell-free extracts. This enzyme was responsible for the formation of the L(+) isomer of lactate, since a lactate racemase was not present.