title: Genome Analysis and Characterisation of the Exopolysaccharide Produced by Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum 35624™.
abstract: The Bifibobacterium longum subsp. longum 35624™ strain (formerly named Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis) is a well described probiotic with clinical efficacy in Irritable Bowel Syndrome clinical trials and induces immunoregulatory effects in mice and in humans. This paper presents (a) the genome sequence of the organism allowing the assignment to its correct subspeciation longum; (b) a comparative genome assessment with other B. longum strains and (c) the molecular structure of the 35624 exopolysaccharide (EPS624). Comparative genome analysis of the 35624 strain with other B. longum strains determined that the sub-speciation of the strain is longum and revealed the presence of a 35624-specific gene cluster, predicted to encode the biosynthetic machinery for EPS624. Following isolation and acid treatment of the EPS, its chemical structure was determined using gas and liquid chromatography for sugar constituent and linkage analysis, electrospray and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry for sequencing and NMR. The EPS consists of a branched hexasaccharide repeating unit containing two galactose and two glucose moieties, galacturonic acid and the unusual sugar 6-deoxy-L-talose. These data demonstrate that the B. longum 35624 strain has specific genetic features, one of which leads to the generation of a characteristic exopolysaccharide.
authors.affiliation: University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Friedrich
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Altmann
authors.affiliation: University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kosma
authors.affiliation: APC Microbiome Institute and School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: O'Callaghan
authors.affiliation: APC Microbiome Institute and School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Sinead
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leahy
authors.affiliation: APC Microbiome Institute and School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bottacini
authors.affiliation: APC Microbiome Institute and School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Molloy
authors.affiliation: Alimentary Health, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Plattner
authors.affiliation: Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zürich, Davos, Switzerland.|Alimentary Health Pharma Davos, Davos, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schiavi
authors.affiliation: APC Microbiome Institute and School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Marita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gleinser
authors.affiliation: Alimentary Health Pharma Davos, Davos, Switzerland.
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authors.lastname: Groeger
authors.affiliation: Alimentary Health Pharma Davos, Davos, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ray
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.affiliation: Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zürich, Davos, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Noelia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rodriguez Perez
authors.affiliation: Alimentary Health, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Selena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Healy
authors.affiliation: University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Svehla
authors.affiliation: University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Windwarder
authors.affiliation: University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hofinger
authors.affiliation: APC Microbiome Institute and School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: O'Connell Motherway
authors.affiliation: Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zürich, Davos, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Cezmi A
authors.initials: CA
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authors.affiliation: Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Alimentary Health, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roper
authors.affiliation: APC Microbiome Institute and School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Douwe
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van Sinderen
authors.affiliation: Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zürich, Davos, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Liam
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: O'Mahony