Lactobacillus
Lactobacillus | |
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Lactobacillus near a squamous epithelial cell | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Bacteria |
Phylum: | Firmicutes |
Class: | Bacilli |
Order: | Lactobacillales |
Family: | Lactobacillaceae |
Genus: | Lactobacillus Beijerinck 1901 |
Species | |
L. acetotolerans |
Lactobacillus, is a genus of Gram-positive, facultative anaerobic or microaerophilic, rod-shaped bacteria.[1] They are a major part of the lactic acid bacteria group. In humans they are part of the vaginal microbiota.[2] Many species in this genus have had their genomes sequenced.[3]
Biology and biochemistry
Lactobacillus is a Gram-positive (it retains crystal violet dye), facultative anaerobe (it can produce energy through glycolysis and fermentation when oxygen is not present). Lactobacillus is a member of the lactic acid bacteria group (its members convert lactose and other sugars to lactic acid).
Metabolism
Many lactobacilli operate using homofermentative metabolism (they produce only lactic acid from sugars), and some species of lactobacilli use heterofermentative metabolism (they can produce either alcohol or lactic acid from sugars). They are aerotolerant despite the complete absence of a respiratory chain. This aerotolerance is manganese-dependent and has been explored (and explained) in Lactobacillus plantarum. Many lactobacilli do not require iron for growth and have an extremely high hydrogen peroxide tolerance.
Taxonomy
The genus Lactobacillus currently consists of over 180 species and encompasses a wide variety of organisms.[4] The genus is polyphyletic, with the genus Pediococcus dividing the L. casei group, and the species L. acidophilus, L. salivarius, and L. reuteri being representatives of three distinct subclades. The genus Paralactobacillus falls within the L. salivarius group. In recent years, other members of the genus Lactobacillus (formerly known as the Leuconostoc branch of Lactobacillus) have been reclassified into the genera Atopobium, Carnobacterium, Weissella, Oenococcus, and Leuconostoc. More recently, the Pediococcus species P. dextrinicus has been reclassified as a Lactobacillus species.[5] According to metabolism, Lactobacillus species can be divided into three groups:
- Obligately homofermentative (group I) including:
- Facultatively heterofermentative (group II) including:
- L. casei, L. curvatus, L. plantarum, L. sakei
- Obligately heterofermentative (group III) including:
Usage in humans
Effectiveness
Lactobacillus is a genus of bacteria with many different species. Most Lactobacillus species in humans are considered harmless. Lactobacilli live in the urinary, digestive, and genital tracts of humans. Lactobacillus is possibly effective for preventing diarrhea in children, or bacterial vaginal infections. However, it may be possibly ineffective for urinary tract infections, lactose intolerance, and yeast infections.[6]
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Probiotics and biotherapeutics
Some strains of Lactobacillus spp. and other lactic acid bacteria may possess potential therapeutic properties including anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities, as well as other features of interest. A study by researchers from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and UCLA in 2009 demonstrated the protective effects of some strains of these bacteria for antitumor and anticancer effects in mice.[7]
Lactobacilli can also be used to restore particular physiological balance such as in the vaginal ecosystem.[8][9][10] Studies suggest that lactobaccilli protect vaginal epithelium, maintain an acidic environment, generate hydrogen peroxide (an effective antibiotic against pathogens. Lactobacillus acidophilus is being administered to prevent necrotizing entercolitis and other neonatal infections.[11]
Mechanically engineered lactobacilli has been studied as a cure for diabetes mellitus type 2 in rats by recreating the function of the pancreas. The engineered probiotic released a hormone called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), which stimulates the secretion of insulin. After 90 days, the blood glucose levels in the study's rats were 30% less. In addition, the cells of the upper intestine began functioning as beta cells, mimicking the pancreas's function and releasing insulin to control blood sugar. Further testing is currently underway to determine whether higher dosages can completely reverse diabetes mellitus type 2.[12]
Food production
Some Lactobacillus species are used as starter cultures in industry for controlled fermentation in the production of yogurt, cheese, sauerkraut, pickles, beer, cider, kimchi, cocoa, kefir, and other fermented foods, as well as animal feeds. The antibacterial and antifungal activity of Lactobacillus species rely on production of bacteriocins and low molecular weight compounds that inhibits these microorganisms.[13]
Sourdough bread is made either spontaneously, by taking advantage of the bacteria naturally present in the air, or by using a "starter culture", which is a symbiotic culture of yeast and lactic acid bacteria growing in a water and flour medium. The bacteria metabolize sugars into lactic acid, which lowers the pH of their environment, creating a signature "sourness" associated with yogurt, sauerkraut, etc.
In many traditional pickling processes, vegetables are submerged in brine, and salt-tolerant Lactobacillus species feed on natural sugars found in the vegetables. The resulting mix of salt and lactic acid is a hostile environment for other microbes, such as fungi, and the vegetables are thus preserved—remaining edible for long periods.
Lactobacilli, especially L. casei and L. brevis, are some of the most common beer spoilage organisms. They are, however, essential to the production of sour beers such as Belgian lambics and American wild ales, giving the beer a distinct tart flavor.
Dental caries
While streptococci family bacteria (e.g. Streptococcus mutans) are the most common cause of tooth decay, other varieties of microbes can also cause dental caries. For example, although usually considered beneficial, some Lactobacillus species have been associated with cases of dental caries. Lactic acid can corrode teeth, and the Lactobacillus count in saliva has been used as a "caries test" for many years. This is one of the arguments used in support of the use of fluoride in toothpaste. Lactobacilli characteristically cause existing carious lesions to progress, especially those in coronal caries. The issue is, however, complex, as recent studies show probiotics can allow beneficial lactobacilli to populate sites on teeth, preventing streptococcal pathogens from taking hold and inducing dental decay. The scientific research of lactobacilli in relation to oral health is a new field and only a few studies and results have been published.[14][15]
See also
References
- ↑ Makarova, K.; Slesarev, A.; Wolf, Y.; Sorokin, A.; Mirkin, B.; Koonin, E.; Pavlov, A.; Pavlova, N.; et al. (Oct 2006). "Comparative genomics of the lactic acid bacteria". Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 103 (42): 15611–6. doi:10.1073/pnas.0607117103. PMC 1622870. PMID 17030793.
- ↑ Petrova, Mariya I.; Lievens, Elke; Malik, Shweta; Imholz, Nicole; Lebeer, Sarah (2015). "Lactobacillus species as biomarkers and agents that can promote various aspects of vaginal health". Frontiers in Physiology 6. doi:10.3389/fphys.2015.00081. ISSN 1664-042X.
- ↑ Fijan, Sabina (2014). "Microorganisms with Claimed Probiotic Properties: An Overview of Recent Literature". International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 11 (5): 4745–4767. doi:10.3390/ijerph110504745. ISSN 1660-4601.
- ↑ http://www.bacterio.cict.fr/l/lactobacillus.html
- ↑ (IJSEM, Paper in Press).
- ↑ http://www.rxlist.com/lactobacillus/supplements.htm
- ↑ Chen, X.; Fruehauf, J.; Goldsmith, J. D.; Xu, H.; Katchar, K. K.; Koon, H. W.; Zhao, D.; Kokkotou, E. G.; Pothoulakis, C.; Kelly, C. N. P. (2009). "Saccharomyces boulardii Inhibits EGF Receptor Signaling and Intestinal Tumor Growth in Apcmin Mice". Gastroenterology 137 (3): 914–923. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2009.05.050. PMC 2777664. PMID 19482027.
- ↑ Reid, G.; Dols, J.; Miller, W. (2009). "Targeting the vaginal microbiota with probiotics as a means to counteract infections". Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care 12 (6): 583–587. doi:10.1097/MCO.0b013e328331b611. PMID 19741517.
- ↑ Osset, J.; Bartolomé, R. M.; García, E.; Andreu, A. N. (2001). "Assessment of the Capacity ofLactobacillusto Inhibit the Growth of Uropathogens and Block Their Adhesion to Vaginal Epithelial Cells". The Journal of Infectious Diseases 183 (3): 485–491. doi:10.1086/318070. PMID 11133381.
- ↑ Pascual, L. M.; Daniele, M. B.; Ruiz, F.; Giordano, W.; Pájaro, C.; Barberis, L. (2008). "Lactobacillus rhamnosus L60, a potential probiotic isolated from the human vagina". The Journal of general and applied microbiology 54 (3): 141–148. PMID 18654035.
- ↑ Baucells, B.J.; Mercadal Hally, M.; Álvarez Sánchez, A.T.; Figueras Aloy, J. (2015). "Asociaciones de probióticos para la prevención de la enterocolitis necrosante y la reducción de la sepsis tardía y la mortalidad neonatal en recién nacidos pretérmino de menos de 1.500g: una revisión sistemática". Anales de Pediatría. doi:10.1016/j.anpedi.2015.07.038. ISSN 1695-4033.
- ↑ Reynolds, Mark. "Breakthrough pill can CURE diabetes: New drug fights both types of killer disease". Retrieved 2015-09-30.
- ↑ Inglin, Raffael C. (2015). "High-throughput screening assays for antibacterial and antifungal activities of Lactobacillus species". Journal of Microbiological Methods 114 (July 2015): 26–29. doi:10.1016/j.mimet.2015.04.011.
- ↑ Twetman, S; Stecksén-Blicks, C (2008). "Probiotics and oral health effects in children". International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 18 (1): 3–10. doi:10.1111/j.1365-263X.2007.00885.x. PMID 18086020.
- ↑ Meurman, J. H.; Stamatova, I (2007). "Probiotics: Contributions to oral health". Oral Diseases 13 (5): 443–51. doi:10.1111/j.1601-0825.2007.01386.x. PMID 17714346.
External links
- Prakash, S. et al. "The Gut Microbiota and Human Health with an Emphasis on the Use of Microencapsulated Bacterial Cells", Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology (2011),
- Data related to Lactobacillus at Wikispecies
- List of species of the genus Lactobacillus
- Lactobacillus at Milk the Funk Wiki
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