Manganese serves an important function in Lactobacillus plantarum in protection against oxidative stress and this bacterium can accumulate Mn(2+) up to millimolar levels intracellularly. Although the physiological role of Mn(2+) and the uptake of this metal ion have been well documented, the only uptake system described so far for this bacterium is the Mn(2+)- and Cd(2+)-specific P-type ATPase ...

The hypocholesterolemic effect of Lactobacillus plantarum AK strain was tested in rats fed high cholesterol diet. The lipid profile, growth rate and microflora dynamics of rats that received L. plantarum AK strain were significantly different from the control group (p < 0.5). In particular low density lipoprotein was lower in serum of rats that received L. plantarum than those of the control gr...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from "Alheira", a fermented sausage produced in Portugal. LAB were identified to genus and species level by phenotypic characteristics, using genus or species-specific primers and sequencing of the gene encoding 16S rRNA. Two-hundred and eighty-three isolates were grouped into 1...

Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 harbors three plasmids, pWCFS101, pWCFS102, and pWCFS103, with sizes of 1,917, 2,365, and 36,069 bp, respectively. The two smaller plasmids are of unknown function and contain replication genes that are likely to function via the rolling-circle replication mechanism. The host range of the pWCFS101 replicon includes Lactobacillus species and Lactococcus lactis, whil...

The fermentation of deoxyribose in Escherichia coli (1, 2) and in Lactobacillus plantarum (3, 4) appears to involve 2-deoxyribose 5-phosphate as an intermediate. Racker (2) has described an enzyme, deoxyribose phosphate aldolase, which catal.yzes the reversible cleavage of deoxyribose 5-phosphate to acetaldehyde and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate. The enzyme occurs in E. coli and in animal tissues ...

A quantitative, real-time PCR method was developed to enumerate Lactobacillus plantarum IWBT B 188 during the malolactic fermentation (MLF) in Grauburgunder wine. The qRT-PCR was strain-specific, as it was based on primers targeting a plasmid DNA sequence, or it was L. plantarum-specific, as it targeted a chromosomally located plantaricin gene sequence. Two 50 l wine fermentations were prepared...

Extracts of Lactobucillus plantarum derived from cells grown on Larabinose contain an active isomerase, which converts L-arabinose to Lribulose (1, 2), and a ribulokinase, which catalyzes the formation of L-ribulose &phosphate (3,4). Such extracts also catalyze the conversion of L-ribulose 5-phosphate to D-xylulose 5-phosphate, which has been shown to be the key intermediate in pentose fermenta...

In this study, nineteen Lactobacillus isolated from Algerian goat’s milk, 13 belonging to L. plantarum, three to L. pentosus, two to L. rhamnosus and one to L. fermentum, were examined in vitro in order to be used as adjunct culture in dairy products. The strains were tested for their proteolytic activity, sensory and safety properties. Strains LbMS16 and LbMS21 L. plantarum and LbMF25 L. rhamn...

In this paper we describe the growth, morphological, and genetic responses of Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 to bile. Growth experiments revealed that a stepwise increase in the porcine bile concentration led to a gradual decrease in the maximal growth rate. Moreover, the final density reached by an L. plantarum culture growing in MRS containing 0.1% bile was approximately threefold lower than t...

Current treatment options for patients with hyperoxaluria and calcium oxalate stone diseases are limited and do not always lead to sufficient reduction in urinary oxalate excretion. Oxalate degrading bacteria have been suggested for degrading intestinal oxalate for the prevention of calcium oxalate stone. Here, we reported a recombinant Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 (L. plantarum) secreting het...