Transcriptome analysis of probiotic Lactobacillus casei Zhang during fermentation in soymilk

• Published in: Journal of industrial microbiology & biotechnology Vol. 39; no. 1; pp. 191 - 206
• Main Authors: Wang, Ji-Cheng, Zhang, Wen-Yi, Zhong, Zhi, Wei, Ai-Bin, Bao, Qiu-Hua, Zhang, Yong, Sun, Tian-Song, Postnikoff, Andrew, Meng, He, Zhang, He-Ping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 2012; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agricultural biotechnology; Amino acids; Amino Acids - metabolism; Animals; bacteria; Biochemistry; Bioinformatics; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biosynthesis; Biotechnology; Carbon - metabolism; China; ecosystems; Fermentation; Food; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene expression; Gene Expression Profiling; gene expression regulation; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Genetic Engineering; histidine; Hybridization; Inorganic Chemistry; Ion transport; Ion Transport - genetics; Lactobacillus casei; Lactobacillus casei - genetics; Lactobacillus casei - growth & development; Lactobacillus casei - metabolism; Life Sciences; Lipid Metabolism - genetics; lysine; Metabolism; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; microarray technology; Microbial engineering. Fermentation and microbial culture technology; Microbiology; Microorganisms; multigene family; Original Paper; Plant-based beverages; Probiotics; Probiotics - metabolism; Soy Milk; Soy products; soymilk; Studies; transcriptomics; China; Zhang; Soymilk; Amino acid; Microarray; Growth; Probiotic; Lactobacillus casei Zhang; Lactic acid bacteria; Transcriptome; Fermentation; Aminoacid; Bacteria; Lactobacillaceae; Lactobacillus
• ISSN: 1367-5435; 1476-5535
• DOI: 10.1007/s10295-011-1015-7

Lactobacillus casei Zhang is a widely recognized probiotic bacterium, which is being commercially used in China. To study the gene expression dynamics of L. casei Zhang during fermentation in soymilk, a whole genome microarray was used to screen for differentially expressed genes when grown to the lag phase, the late logarithmic phase, and the stationary phase. Comparisons of different transcripts next to each other revealed 162 and 63 significantly induced genes in the late logarithmic phase and stationary phase, of which the expression was at least threefold up-regulated and down-regulated, respectively. Approximately 38.4% of the up-regulated genes were associated with amino acid transport and metabolism notably for histidine and lysine biosynthesis, followed by genes/gene clusters involved in carbohydrate transport and metabolism, lipid transport and metabolism, and inorganic ion transport and metabolism. The analysis results suggest a complex stimulatory effect of soymilk-based ecosystem on the L. casei Zhang growth. On the other hand, it provides the very first insight into the molecular mechanism of L. casei strain for how it will adapt to the protein-rich environment.