title: The cell aggregating propensity of probiotic actinobacterial isolates: isolation and characterization of the aggregation inducing peptide pheromone.
abstract: The auto-aggregating ability of a probiotic is a prerequisite for colonization and protection of the gastrointestinal tract, whereas co-aggregation provides a close interaction with pathogenic bacteria. Peptide pheromone mediated signaling has been studied in several systems. However, it has not yet been explored in prokaryotes, especially actinobacteria. Hence, in the present study, the diffusible aggregation promoting factor was purified from the culture supernatant of a potent actinobacterial probiont and characterized using 20 different actinobacterial cultures isolated from the gut region of chicken and goat. The results showed that the pheromone-like compound induces the aggregation propensity of treated isolates. The factor was found to be a heat stable, acidic pH resistant, low molecular weight peptide which enhances the biofilm forming ability of other actinobacterial isolates. The aggregation promoting factor represents a bacterial sex factor (pheromone) and its characterization confirms its usage in the probiotic formulation.
authors.affiliation: a Centre for Pheromone Technology, Department of Animal Science , Bharathidasan University , Tiruchirappalli , India.
authors.forename: Ramu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Muthu Selvam
authors.affiliation: b Bioprocess Technology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology , Bharathidasan University , Tiruchirappalli , India.
authors.forename: Gopal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vinothini
authors.affiliation: a Centre for Pheromone Technology, Department of Animal Science , Bharathidasan University , Tiruchirappalli , India.
authors.forename: Sethuramalingam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Palliyarai Thaiyammal
authors.affiliation: b Bioprocess Technology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology , Bharathidasan University , Tiruchirappalli , India.
authors.forename: Selvanathan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Latha
authors.affiliation: c Department of Botany and Microbiology , College of Science, King Saud University , Riyadh , Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Arunachalam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chinnathambi
authors.affiliation: b Bioprocess Technology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology , Bharathidasan University , Tiruchirappalli , India.
authors.forename: Dharumadurai
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dhanasekaran
authors.affiliation: d Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University , Singapore.
authors.forename: Parasuraman
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Padmanabhan
authors.affiliation: c Department of Botany and Microbiology , College of Science, King Saud University , Riyadh , Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Sulaiman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ali Alharbi
authors.affiliation: a Centre for Pheromone Technology, Department of Animal Science , Bharathidasan University , Tiruchirappalli , India.
authors.forename: Govindaraju
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Archunan
mesh_terms: D039903:Actinobacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D002645:Chickens; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology*; D006041:Goats; D056265:Microbial Interactions / Q000502:physiology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D010675:Pheromones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D019936:Probiotics / Q000378:metabolism*; D065840:Protective Factors
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides; D010675:Pheromones
keywords: Actinobacteria; Pheromone; aggregation factor; biofilm; probiotic