Pentocin KCA1: a novel circular bacteriocin gene encoded in the genome of Lactobacillus pentosus KCA1 with putative basic property

Background: The use of bacteriocin and bacterial strains that produces the antimicrobial peptide has shown to possess potential applications in the conferment of health benefits on the host. We isolated and carried out comprehensive genome sequence analysis of the first Lactobacillus pentosus KCA1 of human origin encoding genes for the biosynthesis of antimicrobial bacteriocin peptide. Due to the growing number of antimicrobial resistance, the need for developing alternatives to traditional antibiotics is now more germane.Aims: To describe the first circular bacteriocin predicted in the genome sequence of Lactobacillus pentosus KCA1 isolated from the vagina of a healthy Nigerian Ibo woman using in silico bioinformatic tools.Methods: The translated open reading frame (ORF) coding pentocin KCA1 was compared with the non-redundant database (nrdb) using BLASTp for protein similarity search. Clustalw algorithm was used for alignment with other published circular bacteriocins.Results: The genome of L. pentosus KCA1 contains a 7-gene cluster, chromosomally encoded for biosynthesis of a predicted circular bacteriocin. The bacteriocin designated as “pentocin KCA1” is synthesized as a precursor gene consisting of 273 nucleotide base sequence encoding the translated product of pentocin KCA1 with 91 amino acid residues in length. The peptide is cleaved off between asparagine (Asn33) and isoleucine (Ile34) to produce the 58 amino acid pentocin KCA1 as an outer membrane peptide. The mature pentocin KCA1 has a high proportion of basic (positively charged-Lysine, Histidine and Asparagine) to acidic (negatively charged-Glutamate and Aspartate) amino acids in the ratio of 8:0.Conclusions: Off the 11 circular bacteriocins known to date, amino acid residue asparagine (8.62%) is utilized more in the biosynthesis of pentocin KCA1. The mature putative circular pentocin KCA1 consists of four alpha-helical structures and has a high proportion of basic amino acid residues when compared with other circular bacteriocins, thereby suggesting that pentocin KCA1 is a circular bacteriocin peptide with strong basic property. The relevance of this basic property lends credence for investigation in subsequent functional studies.Keywords: Circular bacteriocin, Pentocin KCA1, Lactobacilli, Antimicrobial peptid

Probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14 May Help Downregulate TNF-Alpha, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and IL-12 (p70) in the Neurogenic Bladder of Spinal Cord Injured Patient with Urinary Tract Infections: A Two-Case Study

The management of urinary tract infection (UTI) in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) continues to be of concern, due to complications that can occur. An emerging concept that is a common underlying pathophysiological process is involved, wherein pathogens causing UTI have a role in inflammatory progression. We hypothesized that members of the commensal flora, such as lactobacilli, may counter this reaction through anti-inflammatory mediation. This was assessed in a pilot two-patient study in which probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri were administered to one patient and placebo to another, both along with antibiotics to treat acute UTI. Urinary TNF-alpha was significantly downregulated (P = .015) in the patient who received the probiotic and who used intermittent catheterization compared with patient on placebo and using an indwelling catheter. The extent to which this alteration resulted in improved well-being in spinal cord injured patients remains to be determined in a larger study

From gut to urogenital tract: probiotic-microbes descending and ascending.

The use of probiotics for prevention and/or treatment of gastrointestinal maladies is becoming increasingly more germane within the health care sector than ever before. The commercial and public interest in live microbes taken as food supplements is equally having a paradigm shift for urogenital health benefits. This synopsis is based on a search of the Pubmed data-base for relevant research articles and commentaries on a range of proven gastrointestinal health benefits (infantile diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, antibiotic-associated diarrhea and Helicobacter pylori- induced gastritis). In addition, basic and clinical studies with some Lactobacillus strains on the prevention and treatment of urogenital infections such as urinary tract infections and bacterial vaginosis have shown great potential in reducing the burden on wome

Probiotic Potential

TODAY ON MICROBEWORLD – LET’S HEAR IT FOR PROBIOTICS. PROBIOTICS ARE MAKING HEADLINES AS STUDIES REVEAL THEIR EFFECTIVENESS IN TREATING GASTROINTESTINAL DISORDERS AND THE SIDE EFFECTS OF ANTIBIOTIC THERAPY. PROBIOTICS ARE BENEFICIAL BACTERIA, LIKE THOSE FOUND IN YOGURT THAT AID THE GROWTH OF HEALTHY INTESTINAL FLORA. BUT BEFORE THEY CAN COLONIZE THE GI TRACT, PROBIOTICS HAVE TO SURVIVE THE HARSH ENVIRONMENT OF THE STOMACH. SO THE SEARCH IS ON FOR PROBIOTICS THAT HAVE UNIQUE SURVIVAL SKILLS

EATING PROBIOTIC BACTERIA TO STAY HEALTHY

“Use of probiotics is a simple strategy to strengthen our defense against pathogens; for women it is needed to fight off vaginal and urinary tract infections” Dr. Kingsley Anukam states

Knowledge of probiotics by Nigerian clinicians

A reasonable proportion of clinicians in the Northern hemisphere may be familiar with the use of probiotics and some have clearly been involved in probiotic research for some time. However, we hypothesized that medical practitioners in Nigeria are yet to grasp the concept of using probiotics either as health promoting foods or as biotherapeutic agents for the treatment of diarrhea or urogenital infections. In order to determine the extent of awareness on the use of probiotics among qualified medical practitioners in Benin City, Nigeria, a survey was carried out. The survey involved the use of close-ended and open-ended structured questionnaires and 125 randomly sampled medical practitioners. The survey asked about current knowledge on the subject, and provided information to gauge the potential receptivity to using or recommending probiotics in patient care. 62 medical practitioners responded. The results showed that 95.2% of the respondents were not familiar with the term probiotics, and all (100%) indicated that they would like more information on the subject. Up to 75% of the participants raised some concerns bordering on the safety and receptivity of probiotics products among the prospective users. Many respondents (66.1%) stated that they would need positive clinical trial data to be convinced on the efficacy of probiotics before prescribing or recommending it to their patients. To access such data, 64.5% preferred medical textbooks, while only 27.4% indicated peer-reviewed medical journals, perhaps a reflection of the fact that many practitioners in Nigeria are busy and do not have easy access to such journals. Nevertheless, 64.5% were in favour of probiotics and stated they would approve it for health maintenance. 37% stated a preference for an oral capsule and 45.1% yogurts. The findings revealed that in spite of the concerns expressed, many clinicians are willing to participate in clinical trials on probiotics and are extremely interested to learn more about scientifically and clinically proven products

PROBIOTICS: THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL FOR PEOPLE WITH SPINAL CORD INJURY (SCI)

The recent increased interest in probiotics “Live microorganism which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host”, has not yet translated into specific products for hospitalized or spinal cord injured (SCI) patients in Canada. Europeans have more access to clinically proven products, such as Proviva, a Lactobacillus plantarum 299V containing milk drink which when given with oat fibres, has been shown to reduce infections in seriously ill surgical patients. For applications to SCI patients, several options could either be tested now or applied in the future. There are good data on the anti-inflammatory effects of probiotic strains, such as L. rhamnosus GR-1 and the 8 strain product VSL#3. Inflammatory processes affect SCI patients in the immediate post-injury period as a healing reaction, as well as later on in rehabilitation where it may interfere with signaling along the cord. Consideration should be given to applying probiotics conjointly with standard treatment at these two stages. Asymptomatic bacteriuria and urinary tract infections are very common (\u3e70%) in SCI patients, invariably induced through the use of catheters

The potential role of probiotics in reducing poverty-associated infections in developing countries

Probiotics are defined by the Food and Agricultural Organization/ World Health Organization as “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host” [1]. The potential benefits of their use have not been adequately investigated, especially in the developing world. Japan introduced Yakult, a probiotic fermented food drink in 1935, and in the Northern hemisphere, research and use of probiotics has gained an unprecedented momentum in the last decade [2]. Use of probiotics is not uncommon in Europe [3], but in many developing countries use of probiotics in its present definition is a foreign concept. Some African traditional foods are fermented with lactic acid bacteria, and some may have probiotic properties, but clinical evidence is yet to be deciphered. Nonetheless, many communities rushing to “westernize” are losing their fermented food traditions