Lactobacillus plantarum

From MicrobeWiki, the student-edited microbiology resource
Lactobacillus plantarum


Classification

Domain : Bacteria

Phylum : Firmicutes

Class : Bacilli

Order : Lactobacillales

Family : Lactobacillaceae

Genus : Lactobacillus

Species : plantarum


Lactobacillus plantarum

Description and Significance

L. plantarum is a gram positive bacteria. It is a facultative heterofermentative lactic acid bacterium that is encountered in a variety of niches. An extensive range of fermentatable carbon sources can be utilized by L. plantarum.

Genome Structure

Lactobacillus plantarum

‘’Lactobacillus platarum’’ has one of the largest genomes among lactic acid bacteria. In its circular chromosome it contains 3,308,274 base pairs. The genome was sequenced by using whole genome sequencing as assembly approach. The overall GC content of its chromosome is 44.5%, the plasmids tend to have a lower percent GC content. Putative biological functions have been given to 2,120 of the predicted proteins. One particular interesting region of the chromosome is the 213-kb region from 3,072,500 – 3,28,500, which encodes proteins for sugar transport, metabolism, and regulation. This region has a lower percent CG content (41.5%), leading researchers to believe that many of these genes have been acquired by horizontal gene transfer.


There are three plasmids contained in the “L. plantarum” chromosome, pWCFS101, pWCFS102, and pWCFS103. The plasmid sizes are as follows: pWCFS101 contains 1,917 bp, pWCFS102 contains 2,365 bp, and pWCFS103 contains 36,069 bp. Plasmid pWCFS101 is believed to contain replication proteins. Plasmid pWCFS102 is believed to contain replication proteins as well as proteins that function as copy number controls. Plasmid pWCFS103 contains genes that are predicted to be involved in arsenate and/or aresenite resistance as well as cadmium resistance; it also has genes that are believed to encode replication proteins, resolvases, DNA-damage-inducible proteins, and oxidases. ‘’L. plantarum’’ contains two apparently complete prophage genomes, as well as some prophage remnants.

Cell Structure, Metabolism and Life Cycle

Interesting features of cell structure; how it gains energy; what important molecules it produces.


Ecology and Pathogenesis

Habitat; symbiosis; biogeochemical significance; contributions to environment.
If relevant, how does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Virulence factors, as well as patient symptoms.


Often isolated from plant material and the gastrointestinal tract of animals.




Used as a probiotic

Lactobacillus plantarum

References

[Sample reference] Takai, K., Sugai, A., Itoh, T., and Horikoshi, K. "Palaeococcus ferrophilus gen. nov., sp. nov., a barophilic, hyperthermophilic archaeon from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney". International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 2000. Volume 50. p. 489-500.

http://www.pnas.org/content/100/4/1990.long


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=genomeprj&Cmd=Retrieve&list_uids=32969


probiotics: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://customprobiotics.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000002/L.-Plantarum-100-gram.jpg&imgrefurl=http://customprobiotics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc%3FScreen%3DPLST%26Store_Code%3DCP&usg=__kULGdlluS9MDujAAyn4FgT3SV7Y=&h=200&w=138&sz=7&hl=en&start=12&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=iqfNk1UH2PLLwM:&tbnh=104&tbnw=72&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dl.%2Bplantarum%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DG%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26tbs%3Disch:1

picture: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.bacferm.com.au/silac/micro/files/page4_1.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.bacferm.com.au/silac/micro/micro.html&usg=__j6zK9rMES1LdBS9YeouaHB5Cwsk=&h=132&w=200&sz=12&hl=en&start=3&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=rgIvZ-xu776DtM:&tbnh=69&tbnw=104&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dl.%2Bplantarum%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DG%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26tbs%3Disch:1

http://www.phototakeusa.com/lbmail.asp?pb=Meningitis&promo=1&co=PHOTOT05&dynamic=&key=&P1=&P2=&P3=&P4=&P5=&P6=&P7=&P8=&P9=&P10=

http://aem.asm.org/cgi/content/short/71/3/1223

Author

Page authored by Stephanie LaHaye and Jason McIntyre, student of Prof. Jay Lennon at Michigan State University.