title: Comparative genome-based identification of a cell wall-anchored protein from Lactobacillus plantarum increases adhesion of Lactococcus lactis to human epithelial cells.
abstract: Adhesion to host cells is considered important for Lactobacillus plantarum as well as other lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to persist in human gut and thus exert probiotic effects. Here, we sequenced the genome of Lt. plantarum strain NL42 originating from a traditional Chinese dairy product, performed comparative genomic analysis and characterized a novel adhesion factor. The genome of NL42 was highly divergent from its closest neighbors, especially in six large genomic regions. NL42 harbors a total of 42 genes encoding adhesion-associated proteins; among them, cwaA encodes a protein containing multiple domains, including five cell wall surface anchor repeat domains and an LPxTG-like cell wall anchor motif. Expression of cwaA in Lactococcus lactis significantly increased its autoaggregation and hydrophobicity, and conferred the new ability to adhere to human colonic epithelial HT-29 cells by targeting cellular surface proteins, and not carbohydrate moieties, for CwaA adhesion. In addition, the recombinant Lc. lactis inhibited adhesion of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli to HT-29 cells, mainly by exclusion. We conclude that CwaA is a novel adhesion factor in Lt. plantarum and a potential candidate for improving the adhesion ability of probiotics or other bacteria of interest.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Functional Dairy, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Functional Dairy, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Fanglei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Functional Dairy, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Functional Dairy, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Zhu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Huiqin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Functional Dairy, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Shangwu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000235:genetics*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000378:metabolism*; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000382:microbiology*; D015870:Gene Expression; D023061:Gene Order; D014644:Genetic Variation; D054628:Genome, Chloroplast; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans; D048191:Lactiplantibacillus plantarum / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D013294:Lactococcus lactis / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D054730:Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins