A combined physiological and proteomic approach to reveal lactic-acid-induced alterations in Lactobacillus casei Zhang and its mutant with enhanced lactic acid tolerance

Targeting ideal oral vaccine vectors based on probiotics: a systematical view

Probiotics have great potential to be engineered into oral vaccine delivery systems, which can facilitate elicitation of mucosal immunity without latent risks of pathogenicity. Combined with the progressive understanding of probiotics and the mucosal immune system as well as the advanced biotechniques of genetic engineering, the development of promising oral vaccine vectors based on probiotics is available while complicated and demanding. Therefore, a systematical view on the design of practical probiotic vectors is necessary, which will help to logically analyze and resolve the problems that might be neglected during our exploration. Here, we attempt to systematically summarize several fundamental issues vital to the effectiveness of the vector of probiotics, including the stability of the engineered vectors, the optimization of antigen expression, the improvement of colonization, and the enhancement of immunoreactivity. We also compared the existent strategies and some developing ones, attempting to figure out an optimal strategy that might deserve to be referred in the future development of oral vaccine vectors based on probiotics.

The genome and transcriptome of Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis F44 and G423: Insights into adaptation to the acidic environment

Nisin, as a common green (environmentally friendly), nontoxic antibacterial peptide secreted by Lactococcus lactis, is widely used to prevent the decomposition of meat and dairy products and maintains relatively high stability at low pH. However, the growth of Lc. lactis is frequently inhibited by high lactic acid concentrations produced during fermentation. This phenomenon has become a great challenge in enhancing the nisin yield for this strain. Here, the shuffled strain G423 that could survive on a solid plate at pH 3.7 was generated through protoplast fusion-mediated genome shuffling. The nisin titer of G423 peaked at 4,543 IU/mL, which was 59.9% higher than that of the same batch of the initial strain Lc. lactis F44. The whole genome comparisons between G423 and F44 indicated that 6 large fragments (86,725 bp) were inserted in G423 compared with that of Lc. lactis F44. Transcriptome data revealed that 4 novel noncoding transcripts, and the significantly upregulated genes were involved in multiple processes in G423. In particular, the expression of genes involved in cell wall and membrane biosynthesis was obviously perturbed under acidic stress. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that the transcription of noncoding small RNA NC-1 increased by 2.35-fold at pH 3.0 compared with that of the control (pH 7.0). Overexpression assays indicated that small RNA NC-1 could significantly enhance the acid tolerance and nisin production of G423 and F44. Our work provided new insights into the sophisticated genetic mechanisms involved in Lc. lactis in an acidic environment, which might elucidate its potential application in food and dairy industries.

The Lactobacillus casei Group: History and Health Related Applications

The Lactobacillus casei group (LCG), composed of the closely related Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus paracasei, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus are some of the most widely researched and applied probiotic species of lactobacilli. The three species have been extensively studied, classified and reclassified due to their health promoting properties. Differentiation is often difficult by conventional phenotypic and genotypic methods and therefore new methods are being continually developed to distinguish the three closely related species. The group remain of interest as probiotics, and their use is widespread in industry. Much research has focused in recent years on their application for health promotion in treatment or prevention of a number of diseases and disorders. The LCG have the potential to be used prophylactically or therapeutically in diseases associated with a disturbance to the gut microbiota. The group have been extensively researched with regard to stress responses, which are crucial for their survival and therefore application as probiotics.

The increase of O-acetylation and N-deacetylation in cell wall promotes acid resistance and nisin production through improving cell wall integrity in Lactococcus lactis

Cell wall is closely related to bacterial robustness and adsorption capacity, playing crucial roles in nisin production in Lactococcus lactis. Peptidoglycan (PG), the essential component of cell wall, is usually modified with MurNAc O-acetylation and GlcNAc N-deacetylation, catalyzed by YvhB and XynD, respectively. In this study, increasing the two modifications in L. lactis F44 improved autolysis resistance by decreasing the susceptibility to PG hydrolases. Furthermore, both modifications were positively associated with overall cross-linkage, contributing to cell wall integrity. The robust cell wall rendered the yvhB/xynD-overexpression strains more acid resistant, leading to the increase of nisin production in fed-batch fermentations by 63.7 and 62.9%, respectively. Importantly, the structural alterations also reduced nisin adsorption capacity, resulting in reduction of nisin loss. More strikingly, the co-overexpression strain displayed the highest nisin production (76.3% higher than F44). Our work provides a novel approach for achieving nisin overproduction via extensive cell wall remodeling.

Identification of proteins regulated by acid adaptation related two component system HPK1/RR1 in Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus

Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus is currently one of the most valuable lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and widely used in global dairy industry. The acid tolerance and adaptation ability of LAB is the key point of their survival and proliferation during fermentation process and in gastrointestinal tract of human body. Two component system (TCS) is one of the most important mechanisms to allow bacteria to sense and respond to changes of environmental conditions. TCS typically consists of a histidine protein kinase (HPK) and a corresponding response regulator (RR). Our previous study indicated a TCS (JN675228/JN675229) was involved in acid adaptation in L. bulgaricus. To reveal the role of JN675228 (HPK1)/JN675229 (RR1) in acid adaptation, the target genes of JN675228 (HPK1)/JN675229 (RR1) were identified by means of a proteomic approach complemented with transcription data in the present study. The results indicated that HPK1/RR1 regulated the acid adaptation ability of bacteria by means of many pathways, including the proton pump related protein, classical stress shock proteins, carbohydrate metabolism, nucleotide biosynthesis, DNA repair, transcription and translation, peptide transport and degradation, and cell wall biosynthesis, etc. To our knowledge, this is the first report with the effect of acid adaptation-related TCS HPK1/RR1 on its target genes. This study will offer experimental basis for clarifying the acid adaptation regulation mechanism of L. bulgaricus, and provide a theoretical basis for this bacterium in industry application.

Expression of global regulator IrrE for improved succinate production under high salt stress by Escherichia coli

Poor high salt stress resistance remained as a main hurdle limiting the efficient bio-based succinic acid production. In this study, the metabolically engineered E. coli not only showed improvement of high salt stress tolerance through expression of a global regulator IrrE, but also could use seawater for succinic acid fermentation. The recombinant strain showed an increased 1.20-fold of cell growth rate and 1.24-fold of succinic acid production. Expression levels of genes related glucose uptake and succinic acid synthesis were up-regulated, and more glycerol and trehalose were accumulated. Moreover, no significant differences were observed in cell growth even when tap water was replaced by 60% artificial seawater. In the fermentation using Yellow Sea seawater, 24.5 g/L succinic acid was achieved with a yield of 0.88 g/g. This strategy set up a platform for improving abiotic stress tolerances and provide a possible approach for fermentation processes with low cost.

New Genes Involved in Mild Stress Response Identified by Transposon Mutagenesis in Lactobacillus paracasei

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are associated with various plant, animal, and human niches and are also present in many fermented foods and beverages. Thus, they are subjected to several stress conditions and have developed advanced response mechanisms to resist, adapt, and grow. This work aimed to identify the genes involved in some stress adaptation mechanisms in LAB. For this purpose, global reverse genetics was applied by screening a library of 1287 Lactobacillus paracasei transposon mutants for mild monofactorial stresses. This library was submitted independently to heat (52°C, 30 min), ethanol (170 g.L⁻¹, 30 min), salt (NaCl 0.8 M, 24 h), acid (pH 4.5, 24 h), and oxidative (2 mM H₂O₂, 24 h) perturbations which trigger mild monofactorial stresses compatible with bacterial adaptation. Stress sensitivity of mutants was determined either by evaluating viability using propidium iodide (PI) staining, or by following growth inhibition through turbidity measurement. The screening for heat and ethanol stresses lead respectively to the identification of 63 and 27 genes/putative promoters whose disruption lead to an increased sensitivity. Among them, 14 genes or putative promoters were common for both stresses. For salt, acid and oxidative stresses, respectively 8, 6, and 9 genes or putative promoters were identified as essential for adaptation to these unfavorable conditions, with only three genes common to at least two stresses. Then, RT-qPCR was performed on selected stress response genes identified by mutant screenings in order to evaluate if their expression was modified in response to stresses in the parental strain. Eleven genes (membrane, transposase, chaperone, nucleotide and carbohydrate metabolism, and hypothetical protein genes) were upregulated during stress adaptation for at least two stresses. Seven genes, encoding membrane functions, were upregulated in response to a specific stress and thus could represent potential transcriptomic biomarkers. The results highlights that most of the genes identified by global reverse genetics are specifically required in response to one stress and that they are not differentially transcribed during stress in the parental strain. Most of these genes have not been characterized as stress response genes and provide new insights into the adaptation of lactic acid bacteria to their environment.

Contribution of YthA, a PspC Family Transcriptional Regulator of Lactococcus lactis F44 Acid Tolerance and Nisin Yield: a Transcriptomic Approach

To overcome the adverse impacts of environmental stresses during growth, different adaptive regulation mechanisms can be activated in Lactococcus lactis In this study, the transcription levels of eight transcriptional regulators of L. lactis subsp. lactis F44 under acid stress were analyzed using quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. Eight gene-overexpressing strains were then constructed to examine their influences on acid-resistant capability. Overexpressing ythA, a PspC family transcriptional regulator, increased the survival rate by 3.2-fold compared to the control at the lethal pH 3.0 acid shock. Moreover, the nisin yield was increased by 45.50%. The ythA-overexpressing strain FythA appeared to have higher intracellular pH stability and nisin-resistant ability. Subsequently, transcriptome analysis revealed that the vast majority of genes associated with amino acid biosynthesis, including arginine, serine, phenylalanine, and tyrosine, were predominantly upregulated in FythA. Arginine biosynthesis (argG and argH), arginine deiminase pathway, and polar amino acid transport (ysfE and ysfF) were proposed to be the main regulation mechanisms of YthA. Furthermore, the transcription of genes associated with pyrimidine and exopolysaccharide biosynthesis were upregulated. The transcriptional levels of nisIPRKFEG genes were substantially higher in FythA, which directly contributed to the yield and resistance of nisin. Three potential DNA-binding sequences were predicted by computer analysis using the upstream regions of genes with prominent changes. This study showed that YthA could increase acid resistance and nisin yield and revealed a putative regulation mechanism of YthA.IMPORTANCE Nisin, produced by Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, is widely used as a safe food preservative. Acid stress becomes the primary restrictive factor of cell growth and nisin yield. In this research, we found that the transcriptional regulator YthA was conducive to enhancing the acid resistance of L. lactis F44. Overexpressing ythA could significantly improve the survival rate and nisin yield. The stability of intracellular pH and nisin resistance were also increased. Transcriptome analysis showed that nisin immunity and the biosynthesis of some amino acids, pyrimidine, and exopolysaccharides were enhanced in the engineered strain. This study elucidates the regulation mechanism of YthA and provides a novel strategy for constructing robust industrial L. lactis strains.

Contribution of YthA, a PspC Family Transcriptional Regulator of Lactococcus lactis F44 Acid Tolerance and Nisin Yield: a Transcriptomic Approach

To overcome the adverse impacts of environmental stresses during growth, different adaptive regulation mechanisms can be activated in Lactococcus lactis In this study, the transcription levels of eight transcriptional regulators of L. lactis subsp. lactis F44 under acid stress were analyzed using quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. Eight gene-overexpressing strains were then constructed to examine their influences on acid-resistant capability. Overexpressing ythA, a PspC family transcriptional regulator, increased the survival rate by 3.2-fold compared to the control at the lethal pH 3.0 acid shock. Moreover, the nisin yield was increased by 45.50%. The ythA-overexpressing strain FythA appeared to have higher intracellular pH stability and nisin-resistant ability. Subsequently, transcriptome analysis revealed that the vast majority of genes associated with amino acid biosynthesis, including arginine, serine, phenylalanine, and tyrosine, were predominantly upregulated in FythA. Arginine biosynthesis (argG and argH), arginine deiminase pathway, and polar amino acid transport (ysfE and ysfF) were proposed to be the main regulation mechanisms of YthA. Furthermore, the transcription of genes associated with pyrimidine and exopolysaccharide biosynthesis were upregulated. The transcriptional levels of nisIPRKFEG genes were substantially higher in FythA, which directly contributed to the yield and resistance of nisin. Three potential DNA-binding sequences were predicted by computer analysis using the upstream regions of genes with prominent changes. This study showed that YthA could increase acid resistance and nisin yield and revealed a putative regulation mechanism of YthA.IMPORTANCE Nisin, produced by Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, is widely used as a safe food preservative. Acid stress becomes the primary restrictive factor of cell growth and nisin yield. In this research, we found that the transcriptional regulator YthA was conducive to enhancing the acid resistance of L. lactis F44. Overexpressing ythA could significantly improve the survival rate and nisin yield. The stability of intracellular pH and nisin resistance were also increased. Transcriptome analysis showed that nisin immunity and the biosynthesis of some amino acids, pyrimidine, and exopolysaccharides were enhanced in the engineered strain. This study elucidates the regulation mechanism of YthA and provides a novel strategy for constructing robust industrial L. lactis strains.

iTRAQ-Based Proteomic Analysis of Sublethally Injured Escherichia coli O157:H7 Cells Induced by High Pressure Carbon Dioxide

High pressure carbon dioxide (HPCD) could cause sublethally injured cells (SICs), which may cause food poisoning and spoilage during food storage and limit its application. Therefore, the formation of SICs of Escherichia coli O157:H7 was investigated by isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) proteomic methods in this study for better controlling the SICs induced by HPCD. A total of 2,446 proteins was identified by iTRAQ, of which 93 and 29 were significantly differentially expressed in the SICs compared with live control cells (CK_L) and dead control cells (CK_D), respectively. Among the 93 differentially expressed proteins (DEP) in the SICs compared with CK_L, 65 proteins showed down-regulation and 28 showed up-regulation. According to the comprehensive proteome coverage analysis, the SICs survived under HPCD by reducing carbohydrate decomposing, lipid transport and metabolism, amino acid transport and metabolism, transcription and translation, DNA replication and repair. Besides, the SICs showed stress response, DNA damage response and an increased carbohydrate transport, peptidoglycan synthesis and disulfide bond formation to HPCD. Among the 29 DEP in the SICs compared with CK_D, 12 proteins showed down-regulation and 17 showed up-regulation. According to the comprehensive proteome coverage analysis, the SICs survived under HPCD by accumulation of cell protective agents like carbohydrates and amino acids, and decreasing transcription and translation activities. Results showed that the formation of the SICs with low metabolic activity and high survival ability was a survival strategy for E. coli O157:H7 against HPCD.

Engineering a riboswitch-based genetic platform for the self-directed evolution of acid-tolerant phenotypes

Environmental pH is a fundamental signal continuously directing the metabolism and behavior of living cells. Programming the precise cellular response toward environmental pH is, therefore, crucial for engineering cells for increasingly sophisticated functions. Herein, we engineer a set of riboswitch-based pH-sensing genetic devices to enable the control of gene expression according to differential environmental pH. We next develop a digital pH-sensing system to utilize the analogue-sensing behavior of these devices for high-resolution recording of host cell exposure to discrete external pH levels. The application of this digital pH-sensing system is demonstrated in a genetic program that autonomously regulated the evolutionary engineering of host cells for improved tolerance to a broad spectrum of organic acids, a valuable phenotype for metabolic engineering and bioremediation applications.

Cells are exposed to shifts in environmental pH, which direct their metabolism and behavior. Here the authors design pH-sensing riboswitches to create a gene expression program, digitalize the system to respond to a narrow pH range and apply it to evolve host cells with improved tolerance to a variety of organic acids.

Promoting acid resistance and nisin yield of Lactococcus lactis F44 by genetically increasing D-Asp amidation level inside cell wall

Nisin fermentation by Lactococcus lactis requires a low pH to maintain a relatively higher nisin activity. However, the acidic environment will result in cell arrest, and eventually decrease the relative nisin production. Hence, constructing an acid-resistant L. lactis is crucial for nisin harvest in acidic nisin fermentation. In this paper, the first discovery of the relationship between D-Asp amidation-associated gene (asnH) and acid resistance was reported. Overexpression of asnH in L. lactis F44 (F44A) resulted in a sevenfold increase in survival capacity during acid shift (pH 3) and enhanced nisin desorption capacity compared to F44 (wild type), which subsequently contributed to higher nisin production, reaching 5346 IU/mL, 57.0% more than that of F44 in the fed-batch fermentation. Furthermore, the engineered F44A showed a moderate increase in D-Asp amidation level (from 82 to 92%) compared to F44. The concomitant decrease of the negative charge inside the cell wall was detected by a newly developed method based on the nisin adsorption amount onto cell surface. Meanwhile, peptidoglycan cross-linkage increased from 36.8% (F44) to 41.9% (F44A), and intracellular pH can be better maintained by blocking extracellular H⁺ due to the maintenance of peptidoglycan integrity, which probably resulted from the action of inhibiting hydrolases activity. The inference was further supported by the acmC-overexpression strain F44C, which was characterized by uncontrolled peptidoglycan hydrolase activity. Our results provided a novel strategy for enhancing nisin yield through cell wall remodeling, which contributed to both continuous nisin synthesis and less nisin adsorption in acidic fermentation (dual enhancement).

Genomics of lactic acid bacteria: Current status and potential applications

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are widely used for the production of a variety of foods and feed raw materials where they contribute to flavor and texture of the fermented products. In addition, specific LAB strains are considered as probiotic due to their health-promoting effects in consumers. Recently, the genome sequencing of LAB is booming and the increased amount of published genomics data brings unprecedented opportunity for us to reveal the important traits of LAB. This review describes the recent progress on LAB genomics and special emphasis is placed on understanding the industry-related physiological features based on genomics analysis. Moreover, strategies to engineer metabolic capacity and stress tolerance of LAB with improved industrial performance are also discussed.

Long-term adaptive evolution of Leuconostoc mesenteroides for enhancement of lactic acid tolerance and production

BACKGROUND

Lactic acid has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration as Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) and is commonly used in the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and food industries. Applications of lactic acid have also emerged in the plastics industry. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), such as Leuconostoc and Lactobacillus, are widely used as lactic acid producers for food-related and biotechnological applications. Nonetheless, industrial mass production of lactic acid in LAB is a challenge mainly because of growth inhibition caused by the end product, lactic acid. Thus, it is important to improve acid tolerance of LAB to achieve balanced cell growth and a high titer of lactic acid. Recently, adaptive evolution has been employed as one of the strategies to improve the fitness and to induce adaptive changes in bacteria under specific growth conditions, such as acid stress.

RESULTS

Wild-type Leuconostoc mesenteroides was challenged long term with exogenously supplied lactic acid, whose concentration was increased stepwise (for enhancement of lactic acid tolerance) during 1 year. In the course of the adaptive evolution at 70 g/L lactic acid, three mutants (LMS50, LMS60, and LMS70) showing high specific growth rates and lactic acid production were isolated and characterized. Mutant LMS70, isolated at 70 g/L lactic acid, increased d-lactic acid production up to 76.8 g/L, which was twice that in the wild type (37.8 g/L). Proteomic, genomic, and physiological analyses revealed that several possible factors affected acid tolerance, among which a mutation of ATPase ε subunit (involved in the regulation of intracellular pH) and upregulation of intracellular ammonia, as a buffering system, were confirmed to contribute to the observed enhancement of tolerance and production of d-lactic acid.

CONCLUSIONS

During adaptive evolution under lethal stress conditions, the fitness of L. mesenteroides gradually increased to accumulate beneficial mutations according to the stress level. The enhancement of acid tolerance in the mutants contributed to increased production of d-lactic acid. The observed genetic and physiological changes may systemically help remove protons and retain viability at high lactic acid concentrations.

Proteomic analysis of an engineered isolate of Lactobacillus plantarum with enhanced raffinose metabolic capacity

Lactic acid bacteria that can produce alpha-galactosidase are a promising solution for improving the nutritional value of soy-derived products. For their commercial use in the manufacturing process, it is essential to understand the catabolic mechanisms that facilitate their growth and performance. In this study, we used comparative proteomic analysis to compare catabolism in an engineered isolate of Lactobacillus plantarum P-8 with enhanced raffinose metabolic capacity, with the parent (or wild-type) isolate from which it was derived. When growing on semi-defined medium with raffinose, a total of one hundred and twenty-five proteins were significantly up-regulated (>1.5 fold, P < 0.05) in the engineered isolate, whilst and one hundred and six proteins were significantly down-regulated (<−1.5 fold, P < 0.05). During the late stages of growth, the engineered isolate was able to utilise alternative carbohydrates such as sorbitol instead of raffinose to sustain cell division. To avoid acid damage the cell layer of the engineered isolate altered through a combination of de novo fatty acid biosynthesis and modification of existing lipid membrane phospholipid acyl chains. Interestingly, aspartate and glutamate metabolism was associated with this acid response. Higher intracellular aspartate and glutamate levels in the engineered isolate compared with the parent isolate were confirmed by further chemical analysis. Our study will underpin the future use of this engineered isolate in the manufacture of soymilk products.

Enhance nisin yield via improving acid-tolerant capability of Lactococcus lactis F44

Traditionally, nisin was produced industrially by using Lactococcus lactis in the neutral fermentation process. However, nisin showed higher activity in the acidic environment. How to balance the pH value for bacterial normal growth and nisin activity might be the key problem. In this study, 17 acid-tolerant genes and 6 lactic acid synthetic genes were introduced in L. lactis F44, respectively. Comparing to the 2810 IU/mL nisin yield of the original strain F44, the nisin titer of the engineered strains over-expressing hdeAB, ldh and murG, increased to 3850, 3979 and 4377 IU/mL, respectively. These engineered strains showed more stable intracellular pH value during the fermentation process. Improvement of lactate production could partly provide the extra energy for the expression of acid tolerance genes during growth. Co-overexpression of hdeAB, murG, and ldh(Z) in strain F44 resulted in the nisin titer of 4913 IU/mL. The engineered strain (ABGL) could grow on plates with pH 4.2, comparing to the surviving pH 4.6 of strain F44. The fed-batch fermentation showed nisin titer of the co-expression L. lactis strain could reach 5563 IU/mL with lower pH condition and longer cultivation time. This work provides a novel strategy of constructing robust strains for use in industry process.

Physiological and transcriptional responses and cross protection of Lactobacillus plantarum ZDY2013 under acid stress

Acid tolerance responses (ATR) in Lactobacillus plantarum ZDY2013 were investigated at physiological and molecular levels. A comparison of composition of cell membrane fatty acids (CMFA) between acid-challenged and unchallenged cells showed that acid adaptation evoked a significantly higher percentage of saturated fatty acids and cyclopropane fatty acids in acid-challenged than in unchallenged cells. In addition, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis in acid-adapted cells at different pH values (ranging from 3.0 to 4.0) indicated that several genes were differently regulated, including those related to proton pumps, amino acid metabolism, sugar metabolism, and class I and class III stress response pathways. Expression of genes involved in fatty acid synthesis and production of alkali was significantly upregulated. Upon exposure to pH 4.5 for 2 h, a higher survival rate (higher viable cell count) of Lactobacillus plantarum ZDY2013 was achieved following an additional challenge to 40 mM hydrogen peroxide for 60 min, but no difference in survival rate of cells was found with further challenge to heat, ethanol, or salt. Therefore, we concluded that the physiological and metabolic changes of acid-treated cells of Lactobacillus plantarum ZDY2013 help the cells resist damage caused by acid, and further initiated global response signals to bring the whole cell into a state of defense to other stress factors, especially hydrogen peroxide.

Expression of PprI from Deinococcus radiodurans Improves Lactic Acid Production and Stress Tolerance in Lactococcus lactis

PprI is a general switch protein that regulates the expression of certain proteins involved in pathways of cellular resistance in the extremophilic bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans. In this study, we transformed pprI into Lactococcus lactis strain MG1363 using the lactococcal shuttle vector pMG36e and investigated its effects on the tolerance and lactic acid production of L. lactis while under stress. PprI was stably expressed in L. lactis as confirmed by western blot assays. L. lactis expressing PprI exhibited significantly improved resistance to oxidative stress and high osmotic pressure. This enhanced cellular tolerance to stressors might be due to the regulation of resistance-related genes (e.g., recA, recO, sodA, and nah) by pprI. Moreover, transformed L. lactis demonstrated increased lactic acid production, attributed to enhanced lactate dehydrogenase activity. These results suggest that pprI can improve the tolerance of L. lactis to environmental stresses, and this transformed bacterial strain is a promising candidate for industrial applications of lactic acid production.

Quantitative Proteogenomics and the Reconstruction of the Metabolic Pathway in Lactobacillus mucosae LM1

Lactobacillus mucosae is a natural resident of the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals and a potential probiotic bacterium. To understand the global protein expression profile and metabolic features of L. mucosae LM1 in the early stationary phase, the QExactive^TM Hybrid Quadrupole-Orbitrap Mass Spectrometer was used. Characterization of the intracellular proteome identified 842 proteins, accounting for approximately 35% of the 2,404 protein-coding sequences in the complete genome of L. mucosae LM1. Proteome quantification using QExactive^TM Orbitrap MS detected 19 highly abundant proteins (> 1.0% of the intracellular proteome), including CysK (cysteine synthase, 5.41%) and EF-Tu (elongation factor Tu, 4.91%), which are involved in cell survival against environmental stresses. Metabolic pathway annotation of LM1 proteome using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database showed that half of the proteins expressed are important for basic metabolic and biosynthetic processes, and the other half might be structurally important or involved in basic cellular processes. In addition, glycogen biosynthesis was activated in the early stationary phase, which is important for energy storage and maintenance. The proteogenomic data presented in this study provide a suitable reference to understand the protein expression pattern of lactobacilli in standard conditions.

Effect of Pre-Stressing on the Acid-Stress Response in Bifidobacterium Revealed Using Proteomic and Physiological Approaches

Weak acid resistance limits the application of Bifidobacteria as a probiotic in food. The acid tolerance response (ATR), caused by pre-stressing cells at a sublethal pH, could improve the acid resistance of Bifidobacteria to subsequent acid stress. In this study, we used Bifidobacterium longum sub. longum BBMN68 to investigate the effect of the ATR on the acid stress response (ASR), and compared the difference between the ATR and the ASR by analyzing the two-dimensional-PAGE protein profiles and performing physiological tests. The results revealed that a greater abundance of proteins involved in carbohydrate metabolism and protein protection was present after the ASR than after the ATR in Bifidobacterium. Pre-stressing cells increased the abundance of proteins involved in energy production, amino acid metabolism, and peptidoglycan synthesis during the ASR of Bifidobacterium. Moreover, after the ASR, the content of ATP, NH₃, thiols, and peptidoglycan, the activity of H⁺-ATPase, and the maintenance of the intracellular pH in the pre-stressed Bifidobacterium cells was significantly higher than in the uninduced cells. These results provide the first explanation as to why the resistance of Bifidobacterium to acid stress improved after pre-stressing.

Microbial production of lactic acid

Lactic acid is an important commodity chemical having a wide range of applications. Microbial production effectively competes with chemical synthesis methods because biochemical synthesis permits the generation of either one of the two enantiomers with high optical purity at high yield and titer, a result which is particularly beneficial for the production of poly(lactic acid) polymers having specific properties. The commercial viability of microbial lactic acid production relies on utilization of inexpensive carbon substrates derived from agricultural or waste resources. Therefore, optimal lactic acid formation requires an understanding and engineering of both the competing pathways involved in carbohydrate metabolism, as well as pathways leading to potential by-products which both affect product yield. Recent research leverages those biochemical pathways, while researchers also continue to seek strains with improved tolerance and ability to perform under desirable industrial conditions, for example, of pH and temperature.

Physiological and proteomic analysis of Lactobacillus casei in response to acid adaptation

The aim of this study was to investigate the acid tolerance response (ATR) in Lactobacillus casei by a combined physiological and proteomic analysis. To optimize the ATR induction, cells were acid adapted for 1 h at different pHs, and then acid challenged at pH 3.5. The result showed that acid adaptation improved acid tolerance, and the highest survival was observed in cells adapted at pH 4.5 for 1 h. Analysis of the physiological data showed that the acid-adapted cells exhibited higher intracellular pH (pHi), intracellular NH4+ content, and lower inner permeability compared with the cells without adaptation. Proteomic analysis was performed upon acid adaptation to different pHs (pH 6.5 vs. pH 4.5) using two-dimensional electrophoresis. A total of 24 proteins that exhibited at least 1.5-fold differential expression were identified. Four proteins (Pgk, LacD, Hpr, and Galm) involved in carbohydrate catabolism and five classic stress response proteins (GroEL, GrpE, Dnak, Hspl, and LCAZH_2811) were up-regulated after acid adaptation at pH 4.5 for 1 h. Validation of the proteomic data was performed by quantitative RT-PCR, and transcriptional regulation of all selected genes showed a positive correlation with the proteomic patterns of the identified proteins. Results presented in this study may be useful for further elucidating the acid tolerance mechanisms and may help in formulating new strategies to improve the industrial performance of this species during acid stress.

Effect of the gastrointestinal environment on pH homeostasis of Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus brevis cells as measured by real-time fluorescence ratio-imaging microscopy

In the present work, an in vitro model of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) was developed to obtain real-time observations of the pH homeostasis of single cells of probiotic Lactobacillus spp. strains as a measure of their physiological state. Changes in the intracellular pH (pHi) were determined using fluorescence ratio imaging microscopy (FRIM) for potential probiotic strains of Lactobacillus plantarum UFLA CH3 and Lactobacillus brevis UFLA FFC199. Heterogeneous populations were observed, with pHi values ranging from 6.5 to 7.5, 3.5 to 5.6 and 6.5 to 8.0 or higher during passage of saliva (pH 6.4), gastric (pH 3.5) and intestinal juices (pH 6.4), respectively. When nutrients were added to gastric juice, the isolate L. brevis significantly decreased its pH(i) closer to the extracellular pH (pH(ex)) than in gastric juice without nutrients. This was not the case for L. plantarum. This study is the first to produce an in vitro GIT model enabling real-time monitoring of pH homeostasis of single cells in response to the wide range of pH(ex) of the GIT. Furthermore, it was possible to observe the heterogeneous response of single cells. The technique can be used to determine the survival and physiological conditions of potential probiotics and other microorganisms during passage through the GIT.

Heterologous expression of Lactobacillus casei RecO improved the multiple-stress tolerance and lactic acid production in Lactococcus lactis NZ9000 during salt stress

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of nisin-inducible RecO expression on the stress tolerance of Lactococcus lactis NZ9000. RecO protein from Lactobacillus casei Zhang was introduced into Lactococcus lactis NZ9000 by using a nisin-inducible expression system. The recombinant strain (NZ-RecO) exhibited higher growth performances and survival rate compared with the control strain (NZ-Vector) under stress conditions. In addition, the NZ-RecO strain exhibited 1.37-, 1.41-, and 1.42-fold higher biomass, lactate production, lactate productivity, compared with the corresponding values for NZ-Vector during NaCl-stressed condition. Analysis of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity showed that the production of RecO maintained the stability of LDH during salt stress. These results suggest that overproduction of RecO improved the multiple-stress tolerance and lactic acid production in Lactococcus lactis NZ9000 during salt stress. Results presented in this study may help to enhance the industrial utility of lactic acid bacteria.

Mechanism analysis of acid tolerance response of bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum BBMN 68 by gene expression profile using RNA-sequencing

To analyze the mechanism of the acid tolerance response (ATR) in Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum BBMN68, we optimized the acid-adaptation condition to stimulate ATR effectively and analyzed the change of gene expression profile after acid-adaptation using high-throughput RNA-Seq. After acid-adaptation at pH 4.5 for 2 hours, the survival rate of BBMN68 at lethal pH 3.5 for 120 min was increased by 70 fold and the expression of 293 genes were upregulated by more than 2 fold, and 245 genes were downregulated by more than 2 fold. Gene expression profiling of ATR in BBMN68 suggested that, when the bacteria faced acid stress, the cells strengthened the integrity of cell wall and changed the permeability of membrane to keep the H⁺ from entering. Once the H⁺ entered the cytoplasm, the cells showed four main responses: First, the F₀F₁-ATPase system was initiated to discharge H⁺. Second, the ability to produce NH₃ by cysteine-cystathionine-cycle was strengthened to neutralize excess H⁺. Third, the cells started NER-UVR and NER-VSR systems to minimize the damage to DNA and upregulated HtpX, IbpA, and γ-glutamylcysteine production to protect proteins against damage. Fourth, the cells initiated global response signals ((p)ppGpp, polyP, and Sec-SRP) to bring the whole cell into a state of response to the stress. The cells also secreted the quorum sensing signal (AI-2) to communicate between intraspecies cells by the cellular signal system, such as two-component systems, to improve the overall survival rate. Besides, the cells varied the pathways of producing energy by shifting to BCAA metabolism and enhanced the ability to utilize sugar to supply sufficient energy for the operation of the mechanism mentioned above. Based on these reults, it was inferred that, during industrial applications, the acid resistance of bifidobacteria could be improved by adding BCAA, γ-glutamylcysteine, cysteine, and cystathionine into the acid-stress environment.