Comparative Genome Analysis of Lactobacillus reuteri and Lactobacillus fermentum Reveal a Genomic Island for Reuterin and Cobalamin Production
- Azabu Univ., Sagamihara (Japan). School of Veterinary Medicine
- RIKEN Genomic Sciences Center, Yokohama (Japan); Kitasato Univ., Sagamihara (Japan). Kitasato Inst. for Life Sciences
- RIKEN Research Center for Allergy and Immunology, Yokohama (Japan); Yokohama City Univ., Yokohama (Japan). International Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
- Kitasato Univ., Sagamihara (Japan). Kitasato Inst. for Life Sciences
- Azabu Univ., Sagamihara (Japan). College of Environmental Health
- Yamagata Promotional Organization for Industrial Technology, Yamagata (Japan)
- Univ. of Tokyo (Japan). Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences
- Univ. of Minnesota, St.Paul, MN (United States). Dept. of Food Science and Nutrition
- Yokohama City Univ., Yokohama (Japan). International Graduate School of Arts and Sciences; RIKEN Plant Science Center, Yokohama (Japan); Nagoya Univ. (Japan). Graduate School of Frontier Sciences
- RIKEN Genomic Sciences Center, Yokohama (Japan); Univ. of Tokyo (Japan). Graduate School of Frontier Sciences
Lactobacillus reuteri is a heterofermentative lactic acid bacterium that naturally inhabits the gut of humans and other animals. The probiotic effects of L. reuteri have been proposed to be largely associated with the production of the broad-spectrum antimicrobial compound reuterin during anaerobic metabolism of glycerol. We determined the complete genome sequences of the reuterin-producing L. reuteri JCM 1112T and its closely related species Lactobacillus fermentum IFO 3956. Both are in the same phylogenetic group within the genus Lactobacillus. Comparative genome analysis revealed that L. reuteri JCM 1112T has a unique cluster of 58 genes for the biosynthesis of reuterin and cobalamin (vitamin B12). The 58-gene cluster has a lower GC content and is apparently inserted into the conserved region, suggesting that the cluster represents a genomic island acquired from an anomalous source. Two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D-NMR) with 13C3-glycerol demonstrated that L. reuteri JCM 1112T could convert glycerol to reuterin in vivo, substantiating the potential of L. reuteri JCM 1112T to produce reuterin in the intestine. Given that glycerol is shown to be naturally present in feces, the acquired ability to produce reuterin and cobalamin is an adaptive evolutionary response that likely contributes to the probiotic properties of L. reuteri.
- Research Organization:
- Azabu Univ., Sagamihara (Japan)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER). Biological Systems Science Division; Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan
- Grant/Contract Number:
- 18580275; 17020007; 17710191
- OSTI ID:
- 1625312
- Journal Information:
- DNA Research, Vol. 15, Issue 3; ISSN 1340-2838
- Publisher:
- Oxford University PressCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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