title: Transcriptional analysis of exopolysaccharides biosynthesis gene clusters in Lactobacillus plantarum.
abstract: Exopolysaccharides (EPS) from lactic acid bacteria contribute to specific rheology and texture of fermented milk products and find applications also in non-dairy foods and in therapeutics. Recently, four clusters of genes (cps) associated with surface polysaccharide production have been identified in Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1, a probiotic and food-associated lactobacillus. These clusters are involved in cell surface architecture and probably in release and/or exposure of immunomodulating bacterial molecules. Here we show a transcriptional analysis of these clusters. Indeed, RT-PCR experiments revealed that the cps loci are organized in five operons. Moreover, by reverse transcription-qPCR analysis performed on L. plantarum WCFS1 (wild type) and WCFS1-2 (ΔccpA), we demonstrated that expression of three cps clusters is under the control of the global regulator CcpA. These results, together with the identification of putative CcpA target sequences (catabolite responsive element CRE) in the regulatory region of four out of five transcriptional units, strongly suggest for the first time a role of the master regulator CcpA in EPS gene transcription among lactobacilli.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali, Biologiche e Farmaceutiche, Seconda Università di Napoli, via Vivaldi 43, 81100, Caserta, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vastano
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali, Biologiche e Farmaceutiche, Seconda Università di Napoli, via Vivaldi 43, 81100, Caserta, Italy.
authors.forename: Filomena
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Perrone
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali, Biologiche e Farmaceutiche, Seconda Università di Napoli, via Vivaldi 43, 81100, Caserta, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosangela
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marasco
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali, Biologiche e Farmaceutiche, Seconda Università di Napoli, via Vivaldi 43, 81100, Caserta, Italy.
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sacco
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali, Biologiche e Farmaceutiche, Seconda Università di Napoli, via Vivaldi 43, 81100, Caserta, Italy. lidia.muscariello@unina2.it.
authors.forename: Lidia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Muscariello
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005809:Genes, Regulator / Q000235:genetics; D048191:Lactiplantibacillus plantarum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005810:Multigene Family / Q000235:genetics*; D009876:Operon / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins
keywords: CcpA; Exopolysaccharides; Lactobacillus plantarum; Transcriptional analysis