Strains of Lactobacillus plantarum in Grape Must are also Present in the Intestinal Tract of Vinegar Flies

Twenty-one lactic acid bacteria isolated from the intestinal tract of Drosophila simulans Stuvervant and nine from Merlot noir grapes were identified as L. plantarum by PCR with species-specific primers and 16S rDNA sequencing.The 30 isolates grouped into four clusters based on RAPD-PCR banding patterns, suggesting that they belong to at least four genotypic groups. Thirteen isolates from grape must and five from the flies yielded identical RAPDPCR banding patterns and grouped into one cluster, suggesting that they are descendants from the same strain.  Concluded from these results, L. plantarum (or at least descendants from a specific strain) has the ability to use vinegar flies as a host and vector to infect grape must. Further research is needed to determine the role of this specific strain in wine fermentations

Fluid-rock interaction during high-grade metamorphism: instructive examples from the Southern Marginal Zone of the Limpopo Complex, South Africa

The Southern Marginal Zone of the Limpopo Complex documents strong evidence that CO2-rich (XCO2=0.7–0.9, XH2O= 0.1–0.3) and brine fluids of greatly reduced water activity interacted with cooling metapelitic granulite during the thrust-controlled emplacement at 2.69–2.62 Ga onto the granite-greenstone terrain of the northern Kaapvaal Craton. Interaction of cooling metapelitic granulite with CO2-rich fluids at T 900°C, P > 7.5 kbar. Interaction of hot melt with metapelitic granulite continued until final emplacement in the middle crust (P = 6 kbar, T = 630°C). Brine fluids also initiated shear zone-hosted metasomatism of quartzo-feldspathic gneisses at T between 600 and 900°C and amphibolite-facies lode-gold mineralization. Available data implicate devolatilization of underthrusted greenstone material as the dominant deep crustal source for infiltrating CO2-rich and brine fluids

Calf and dam characteristics and calf transport age affect immunoglobulin titers and hematological parameters of veal calves

This study aimed to investigate effects of transport age of calves (14 vs. 28 d), and of calf and dam characteristics, on immunoglobulin titers and hematological variables of veal calves. Calves (n = 683) were transported to a veal farm at 14 or 28 d of age. Natural antibodies N-IgG, N-IgM, and N-IgA against phosphorylcholine conjugated to bovine serum albumin (PC-BSA) were measured in serum of the dams 1 wk before calving and in first colostrum. These antibodies were also measured in serum of calves 1 wk after birth, 1 d before transport, and in wk 2 and 10 posttransport at the veal farm. Hematological variables were assessed in calves 1 d before transport and in wk 2 posttransport. One day before transport, titers of N-IgG, N-IgM, N-IgA, and neutrophil counts were higher, and lymphocyte counts were lower in 14-d-old calves compared with 28-d-old calves. In wk 2 at the veal farm, calves transported at 14 d of age had higher N-IgG titers and neutrophil counts, but lower N-IgM and N-IgA titers, and lymphocyte counts than calves transported at 28 d. In wk 1 and 1 d before transport, N-Ig in calves were positively related to N-Ig in colostrum. In wk 2 and 10 at the veal farm, N-IgG in calves was positively related to N-IgG in colostrum. The N-IgG titers in calves at the dairy farm were negatively related to the likelihood of being individually treated with antibiotics or other medicines at the veal farm. Our results suggest that calves transported to the veal farm at 28 d of age showed a more advanced development of their adaptive immunity than calves transported at 14 d of age. Quality of colostrum might have long-term consequences for N-IgG titers and immunity in veal calves.Stichting Brancheorganisatie Kalversector (SBK, Nieuwegein, the Netherlands), ZuivelNL (the organization of the Dutch dairy sector, Den Haag, the Netherlands), and the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (Den Haag, the Netherlands).http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-dairy-science/am2022Veterinary Tropical Disease

Horizontal gene transfer amongst probiotic lactic acid bacteria and other intestinal microbiota: What are the possibilities? A review

Probiotics are live cultures, usually lactic acid bacteria, which are ingested to promote a healthy gastrointestinal tract. These organisms require certain traits to survive and compete in this niche, but these traits may be transferred to other microbiota in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Similarly, virulence factors from pathogens may be acquired by probiotic strains. Bacteria have developed a plethora of methods to transfer genetic material between strains, species and genera. In this review, the possible factors that may be exchanged and the methods of exchange are discussed. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.Revie

Evaluation of Enterococcus mundtii ST4SA and Lactobacillus plantarum 423 as probiotics by using a gastro-intestinal model with infant milk formulations as substrate

Enterococcus mundtii ST4SA and Lactobacillus plantarum 423 produce bacteriocins with activity against a number of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Both strains survived intestinal conditions simulated in a gastro-intestinal model (GIM) with infant milk formulations as substrate and prevented the growth of Listeria monocytogenes ScottA. The strains are inhibited by the antibiotics amoxicillin, cefadroxil, roxithromycin and doxycycline, anti-inflammatory medicaments containing meloxicam, ibuprofen and sodium diklofenak, and analgesics containing paracetamol, codeine phosphate and promethazine. Strain 423 is sensitive to vancomycin and does not contain genes encoding gelatinase, cell aggregation substance (AS), adhesion to collagen (Ace), enterococcus surface protein (Esp), Enterococcus faecalis endocarditis antigen (EfaAfs), cytolysin and non-cytolysin (β-hemolysin III). Genes encoding AS, cytolysin and non-cytolysin (β-hemolysin III) were amplified from the genome of strain ST4SA. Survival of strains ST4SA and 423 improved when used as combined cultures in the GIM and compared well with the survival of commercially available probiotics subjected to the same conditions. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Articl

Isolation, purification and partial characterization of plantaricin 423, a bacteriocin produced by Lactobacillus plantarum

Lactobacillus plantarum 423, isolated from sorghum beer, produces a bacteriocin (plantaricin 423) which is inhibitory to several food spoilage bacteria and food-borne pathogens, including Bacillus cereus, Clostridium sporogenes, Enterococcus faecalis, Listeria spp. and Staphylococcus spp. Plantaricin 423 is resistant to treatment at 80 °C, but loses 50% of its activity after 60 min at 100 °C and 75% of its activity after autoclaving (121 °C, 15 min). Plantaricin 423 remains active after incubation at pH 1- 10 and is inactivated when treated with pepsin, papain, α-chymotrypsin, trypsin and Proteinase K. Plantaricin 423 was partially purified and its size estimated at 3.5 kDa, as determined by tricine-SDS-PAGE. The mechanism of activity of Plantaricin 423 is weakly bactericidal, as determined against Oenococcus oeni (previously Leuconostoc oenos). High DNA homology was obtained between the plasmid DNA of strain 423 and the pediocin PA-1 operon of Pediococcus acidilactici PAC 1.0, suggesting that plantaricin 423 is plasmid-encoded and related to the pediocin gene cluster.Articl

Effect of gastro-intestinal conditions on the growth of Enterococcus mundtii ST4SA, and production of bacteriocin ST4SA recorded by real-time PCR

Enterococcus mundtii ST4SA, isolated from soybeans, produces a 3950 Da bacteriocin (bacST4SA) active against a variety of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including human pathogens. In this study, the effect of gastro-intestinal conditions on the survival of strain ST4SA and production of bacST4SA was studied. Strain ST4SA was cultured in MRS broth at different pH and in MRS broth supplemented with bile, pancreatic enzymes, and contents of the stomach and small intestine of pigs, respectively. After 12 and 24 h at 37 °C, cells were harvested, RNA isolated and cDNA prepared. Expression of the genes encoding bacST4SA, RecA, GroES and 23 S rRNA was studied by real-time PCR (RT-PCR). No significant up- or down-regulation of the genes were recorded, except when cells were grown in MRS at pH 3.5. In this case only RecA and GroES were up-regulated. Growth of strain ST4SA and production of bacST4SA are not affected by conditions in the lower intestine and the strain could be used as a probiotic. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Articl

Expression of the mucus adhesion genes Mub and MapA, adhesion-like factor EF-Tu and bacteriocin gene plaA of Lactobacillus plantarum 423, monitored with real-time PCR

Expression of the mucus adhesion genes Mub and MapA, adhesion-like factor EF-Tu and bacteriocin gene plaA by Lactobacillus plantarum 423, grown in the presence of bile, pancreatin and at low pH, was studied by real-time PCR. Mub, MapA and EF-Tu were up-regulated in the presence of mucus, proportional to increasing concentrations. Expression of MapA was up-regulated in the presence of 3.0 g/l bile and 3.0 g/l pancreatin at pH 6.5. Similar results were recorded in the presence of 10.0 g/l bile and 10.0 g/l pancreatin at pH 6.5. Expression of Mub was down-regulated in the presence of bile and pancreatin, whilst the expression of EF-Tu and plaA remained unchanged. Expression of Mub and MapA remained unchanged at pH 4.0, whilst expression of EF-Tu and plaA were up-regulated. Expression of MapA was down-regulated in the presence of 1.0 g/l l-cysteine HCl, suggesting that the gene is regulated by transcription attenuation that involves cysteine. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Articl

Characterization and heterologous expression of a class IIa bacteriocin, plantaricin 423 from Lactobacillus plantarum 423, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Lactobacillus plantarum 423 produces a small heat-stable antimicrobial protein designated plantaricin 423. This protein is bactericidal for many Gram-positive foodborne pathogens and spoilage bacteria, including Listeria spp., Staphylococcus spp., Pediococcus spp., Lactobacillus spp., etc. The DNA sequence of the plantaricin 423-encoding region on plasmid pPLA4 revealed a four open reading frame (ORF) operon structure similar to pediocin PA-1/AcH from Pediococcus acidilactici and coagulin from Bacillus coagulans I4. The first ORF, plaA, encodes a 56-amino acid prepeptide consisting of a 37-amino acid mature molecule, with a 19-amino acid N-terminal leader peptide. The second ORF, plaB, encodes a putative immunity protein with protein sequence similarities to several bacteriocin immunity proteins. The plaC and plaD genes are virtually identical to pedC and pedD of the pediocin PA-1 operon, as well as coaC and coaD of the coagulin operon. Plantaricin 423 was cloned on a shuttle vector under the control of a yeast promoter and heterologously produced in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.Articl

Bacteriocin T8, a novel class IIa sec-dependent bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus faecium T8, isolated from vaginal secretions of children infected with human immunodeficiency virus

Enterococcus faecium T8, isolated from vaginal secretions of children with human immunodeficiency virus, produces a class IIa sec-dependent bacteriocin that is structurally different from three other class IIa sec-dependent bacteriocins, i.e., enterocin P and an enterocin P-like bacteriocin, produced by Enterococcus faecium, and bacteriocin 31, produced by Enterococcus faecalis, and from a class III bacteriocin produced by E. faecalis. The genes encoding the bacteriocin, immunity protein, mobilization protein, and relaxase nuclease are located on a 7-kb plasmid. Bacteriocin T8 has a molecular mass of 5.1 kDa based on its DNA sequence, similar to the 5.0 kDa recorded for bacteriocin 31 but larger than the 4.6 kDa reported for enterocin P. At the amino acid level, bacteriocin T8 is 69% homologous to bacteriocin 31 and 47% homologous to enterocin P. Bacteriocin T8 is active against E. faecalis isolated from patients diagnosed with vaginosis, against Lactobacillus sakei, and against a Propionibacterium sp. The peptide is heat stable (60 min at 100°C) and remains active in phosphate buffer from pH 4.0 to 10.0. The mode of activity is bactericidal, as determined with E. faecalis. Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.Articl