-
Article
Open AccessDetection and classification of the integrative conjugative elements of Lactococcus lactis
Lactococcus lactis is widely applied by the dairy industry for the fermentation of milk into products such as cheese. Adaptation of L. lactis to the dairy environment often depends on functions encoded by mobile...
-
Article
Open AccessPrediction and validation of novel SigB regulon members in Bacillus subtilis and regulon structure comparison to Bacillales members
Sigma factor B (SigB) is the central regulator of the general stress response in Bacillus subtilis and regulates a group of genes in response to various stressors, known as the SigB regulon members. Genes that ar...
-
Article
Open AccessA generic workflow for Single Locus Sequence Ty** (SLST) design and subspecies characterization of microbiota
We present TaxPhlAn, a new method and bioinformatics pipeline for design and analysis of single-locus sequence ty** (SLST) markers to type and profile bacteria beyond the species-level in a complex microbial...
-
Article
Open AccessTranscriptome signatures of class I and III stress response deregulation in Lactobacillus plantarum reveal pleiotropic adaptation
To cope with environmental challenges bacteria possess sophisticated defense mechanisms that involve stress-induced adaptive responses. The canonical stress regulators CtsR and HrcA play a central role in the ...
-
Article
Open AccessImpact of 4 Lactobacillus plantarum capsular polysaccharide clusters on surface glycan composition and host cell signaling
Bacterial cell surface-associated polysaccharides are involved in the interactions of bacteria with their environment and play an important role in the communication between pathogenic bacteria and their host ...
-
Article
Open AccessLactobacillus plantarum possesses the capability for wall teichoic acid backbone alditol switching
Specific strains of Lactobacillus plantarum are marketed as health-promoting probiotics. The role and interplay of cell-wall compounds like wall- and lipo-teichoic acids (WTA and LTA) in bacterial physiology and ...
-
Article
Open AccessFrom transcriptional landscapes to the identification of biomarkers for robustness
The ability of microorganisms to adapt to changing environments and gain cell robustness, challenges the prediction of their history-dependent behaviour. Using our model organism Bacillus cereus, a notorious Gram...
-
Chapter
Engineering Robust Lactic Acid Bacteria
For centuries, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been industrially exploited as starter cultures in the fermentation of foods and feeds for their spoilage-preventing and flavor-enhancing characteristics. More re...
-
Article
Open AccessLAB-Secretome: a genome-scale comparative analysis of the predicted extracellular and surface-associated proteins of Lactic Acid Bacteria
In Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB), the extracellular and surface-associated proteins can be involved in processes such as cell wall metabolism, degradation and uptake of nutrients, communication and binding to sub...
-
Article
Open AccessAn in silico analysis of T-box regulated genes and T-box evolution in prokaryotes, with emphasis on prediction of substrate specificity of transporters
T-box anti-termination is an elegant and sensitive mechanism by which many bacteria maintain constant levels of amino acid-charged tRNAs. The amino acid specificity of the regulatory element is related to a so...
-
Article
Open AccessA generic approach to identify Transcription Factor-specific operator motifs; Inferences for LacI-family mediated regulation in Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1
A key problem in the sequence-based reconstruction of regulatory networks in bacteria is the lack of specificity in operator predictions. The problem is especially prominent in the identification of transcript...
-
Article
Open AccessThioredoxin reductase is a key factor in the oxidative stress response of Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1
Thioredoxin (TRX) is a powerful disulfide oxido-reductase that catalyzes a wide spectrum of redox reactions in the cell. The aim of this study is to elucidate the role of the TRX system in the oxidative stress...
