Tiansong Sun

Proteomic analysis of responses of a new probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus casei Zhang to low acid stress

Tolerance to acid is an important feature for probiotic bacteria during transition through the gastrointestinal tract. Proteomics analysis of a new probiotic bacterium, Lactobacillus casei Zhang, was performed upon 30-min exposure to low acid stress (pH 2.5 vs. pH 6.4) using two-dimensional electrophoresis. Out of 33 protein spots that showed changes of expression between the two pHs, 22 showed 1.5-fold higher expression at pH 2.5 than at pH 6.4, whereas five spots had expression decreased by 1.5-fold at pH 2.5. There were also six protein spots that were exclusively present on different pH maps. Further analysis showed that eight of the enhanced proteins, NagA, NagB, PGM, GlmM, LacC, TDP, GALM and PtsI, were involved in carbohydrate catabolism. Moreover, quantitative RT-PCR showed that the mRNA expression levels of dnaK, nagB, galm, estC, tuf and luxS were consistent with changes in protein expression. We postulate that there might be some relationship between differentially expressed proteins and acid tolerance in L. casei Zhang.

Diversity of lactic acid bacteria associated with traditional fermented dairy products in Mongolia

Spontaneous milk fermentation has a long history in Mongolia, and beneficial microorganisms have been handed down from one generation to the next for use in fermented dairy products. The objective of this study was to investigate the diversity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) communities in fermented yak, mare, goat, and cow milk products by analyzing 189 samples collected from 13 different regions in Mongolia. The LAB counts in these samples varied from 3.41 to 9.03 log cfu/mL. Fermented yak and mare milks had almost identical mean numbers of LAB, which were significantly higher than those in fermented goat milk but slightly lower than those in fermented cow milk. In total, 668 isolates were obtained from these samples using de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe agar and M17 agar. Each isolate was considered to be presumptive LAB based on gram-positive and catalase-negative properties, and was identified at the species level by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, multiplex PCR assay, and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. All isolates from Mongolian dairy products were accurately identified as Enterococcus faecalis (1 strain), Enterococcus durans (3 strains), Lactobacillus brevis (3 strains), Lactobacillus buchneri (2 strains), Lactobacillus casei (16 strains), Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus (142 strains), Lactobacillus diolivorans (17 strains), Lactobacillus fermentum (42 strains), Lactobacillus helveticus (183 strains), Lactobacillus kefiri (6 strains), Lactobacillus plantarum ssp. plantarum (7 strains), Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis (7 strains), Leuconostoc lactis (22 strains), Leuconostoc mesenteroides (21 strains), Streptococcus thermophilus (195 strains), and Weissella cibaria (1 strain). The predominant LAB were Strep. thermophilus and Lb. helveticus, which were isolated from all sampling sites. The results demonstrate that traditional fermented dairy products from different regions of Mongolia have complex compositions of LAB species. Such diversity of LAB provides useful information for further studies of probiotic strain selection and starter culture design, with regard to the industrial production of traditional fermented milk.

Identification of angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory peptides from koumiss, a traditional fermented mare's milk

Angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities in untreated koumiss and koumiss digested with ACE, pepsin, trypsinase, and chymotrypsin were compared and analyzed. Four novel ACE inhibitory peptides (P(I), P(K), P(M), and P(P)) were purified using ultrafiltration and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The classification study showed that these 4 peptides were of the true inhibitor type. The amino acid sequences of these peptides are YQDPRLGPTGELDPATQPIVAVHNPVIV, PKDLREN, LLLAHLL, and NHRNRMMDHVH, respectively. Their individual IC(50) (50% inhibitory concentration) values were as follows: 14.53+/-0.21microM, 9.82+/-0.37microM, 5.19+/-0.18microM, and 13.42+/-0.17microM. From sequence analysis, we determined that P(I) was part of beta-casein in mares milk. The 3 peptides P(K), P(M), and P(P) did not correspond with any known milk protein. The results suggest that koumiss is rich in ACE inhibitory peptides, and the ACE inhibitors in koumiss are of the pro-drug type or a mixture of the pro-drug type and the true inhibitor type. These results may provide evidence about the beneficial effects of koumiss, especially on cardiovascular health.

Complete Genome Sequence of Streptococcus thermophilus Strain ND03

Streptococcus thermophilus strain ND03 is a Chinese commercial dairy starter used for the manufacture of yogurt. It was isolated from naturally fermented yak milk in Qinghai, China. We present here the complete genome sequence of ND03 and compare it to three other published genomes of Streptococcus thermophilus strains.

Isolation and identification of lactic acid bacteria from Tarag in Eastern Inner Mongolia of China by 16S rRNA sequences and DGGE analysis

Tarag is a characteristic fermented dairy product with rich microflora (especially lactic acid bacteria), developed by the people of Mongolian nationality in Inner Mongolia of China and Mongolia throughout history. One hundred and ninety-eight samples of Tarag were collected from scattered households in Eastern Inner Mongolia, and total of 790 isolates of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated by traditional pure culture method. To identify these isolates and analyze their biodiversity, 16S rRNA gene sequences analysis and PCR-DGGE were performed respectively. The results showed that 790 isolates could be classified as 31 species and subspecies. Among these isolates, Lactobacillus helveticus (153 strains, about 19.4%), Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis (132 strains, about 16.7%) and Lactobacillus casei (106 strains, about 11.0%) were considered as the predominated species in the traditional fermented dairy products (Tarag) in Eastern Inner Mongolia. It was shown that the biodiversity of LAB in Tarag in Inner Mongolia was very abundant, and this traditional fermented dairy product could be considered as valuable resources for LAB isolation and probiotic selection.

Complete Genome Sequence of Lactobacillus helveticus H10

Lactobacillus helveticus strain H10 was isolated from traditional fermented milk in Tibet, China. We sequenced the whole genome of strain H10 and compared it to the published genome sequence of Lactobacillus helveticus DPC4571.

Complete genome sequence of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus strain ND02.

Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus strain ND02 is a Chinese commercial dairy starter used for the manufacture of yoghurt. It was isolated from naturally fermented yak milk in Qinghai, China. Here, we report the main genome features of ND02 and several differences with two other published genomes of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus strains.

Validation of reference genes for real-time quantitative PCR studies in gene expression levels of Lactobacillus casei Zhang

Lactobacillus casei Zhang, a potential probiotic strain isolated from homemade koumiss in Inner Mongolia of China, has been sequenced and deposited in GenBank. Real-time quantitative PCR is one of the most widely used methods to study related gene expression levels of Lactobacillus casei Zhang. For accurate and reliable gene expression analysis, normalization of gene expression data using one or more appropriate reference genes is essential. We used three statistical methods (geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper) to evaluate the expression levels of five candidate reference genes (GAPD, gyrB, LDH, 16s rRNA, and recA) under different culture conditions and different growth phases to find a suitable housekeeping gene which can be used as internal standard. The results showed that the best reference gene was GAPD, and a set of two genes, GAPD and gyrB (which were the most stable reference genes), is recommended for normalization of real-time quantitative PCR experiments under all the different experimental conditions tested. The systematic validation of candidate reference genes is important for obtaining reliable analysis results of real-time quantitative PCR studies in gene expression levels of Lactobacillus casei Zhang.

Investigation of bacterial and fungal diversity in tarag using high-throughput sequencing

This is the first study on the bacterial and fungal community diversity in 17 tarag samples (naturally fermented dairy products) through a metagenomic approach involving high-throughput pyrosequencing. Our results revealed the presence of a total of 47 bacterial and 43 fungal genera in all tarag samples, in which Lactobacillus and Galactomyces were the predominant genera of bacteria and fungi, respectively. The number of some microbial genera, such as Lactococcus, Acetobacter, Saccharomyces, Trichosporon, and Kluyveromyces, among others, was found to vary between different samples. Altogether, our results showed that the microbial flora in different samples may be stratified by geographic region.

Complete Genome Sequence of Probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Strain V9

Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis strain V9 is a Chinese commercial bifidobacteria with several probiotic functions. It was isolated from a healthy Mongolian child in China. We present here the complete genome sequence of V9 and compare it to 3 other published genome sequences of B. animalis subsp. lactis strains. The result indicates the lack of polymorphism among strains of this subspecies from different continents.