AEM
Home Help [Feedback] [For Subscribers] [Archive] [Search] [Contents]
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Other Versions of this Article:
AEM.00133-08v1
74/15/4711    most recent
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Lebeer, S.
Right arrow Articles by De Keersmaecker, S. C. J.
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Lebeer, S.
Right arrow Articles by De Keersmaecker, S. C. J.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Lebeer, S.
Right arrow Articles by De Keersmaecker, S. C. J.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, August 2008, p. 4711-4718, Vol. 74, No. 15
0099-2240/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.00133-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Impact of luxS and Suppressor Mutations on the Gastrointestinal Transit of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG{triangledown}

Sarah Lebeer,1 Ingmar J. J. Claes,1 Tine L. A. Verhoeven,1 Chong Shen,2 Ivo Lambrichts,3 Jan L. Ceuppens,4 Jos Vanderleyden,1 and Sigrid C. J. De Keersmaecker1*

Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, 3001 Leuven, Belgium,1 Division of Gastroenterology, University Hospital, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,2 Laboratory of Histology, Biomed Research Institute, University Hasselt, Agoralaan Gebouw D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium,3 Division of Clinical Immunology, University Hospital, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium4

Received 15 January 2008/ Accepted 12 March 2008

It is generally believed that probiotic bacteria need to survive gastrointestinal transit to exert a health-promoting effect. In this study, a genuine luxS mutant and a luxS mutant containing unknown suppressor mutations of the probiotic strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG were compared to the wild type for survival and persistence in the murine gastrointestinal tract. The LuxS enzyme, catalyzing the production of the autoinducer-2 signaling molecule, also forms an integral part of the activated methyl cycle and the metabolism of methionine and cysteine. The genuine luxS mutant CMPG5412 showed drastically reduced persistence in mice, which was related to less survival in simulated gastric juice, indicating that LuxS metabolism is crucial for the gastric stress resistance of L. rhamnosus GG. The suppressor mutations in the other luxS mutant, CMPG5413, appear to compensate for the metabolic defects of the luxS mutation and to restore the resistance to gastric juice but cause a defect in adherence, biofilm formation, and exopolysaccharide production. The shorter residence time of this suppressor mutant in the murine gastrointestinal tract indicates a role for biofilm formation and exopolysaccharides in the persistence capacity of L. rhamnosus GG.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, 3001 Leuven, Belgium. Phone: 32 16 321631. Fax: 32 16 321966. E-mail: sigrid.dekeersmaecker{at}biw.kuleuven.be

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 6 June 2008.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, August 2008, p. 4711-4718, Vol. 74, No. 15
0099-2240/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.00133-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





Home Help [Feedback] [For Subscribers] [Archive] [Search] [Contents]
J. Bacteriol. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. Eukaryot. Cell All ASM Journals

Copyright © 2008 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.