Assessment of aerobic and respiratory growth in the Lactobacillus casei group

PLoS One. 2014 Jun 11;9(6):e99189. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0099189. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

One hundred eighty four strains belonging to the species Lactobacillus casei, L. paracasei and L. rhamnosus were screened for their ability to grow under aerobic conditions, in media containing heme and menaquinone and/or compounds generating reactive oxygen species (ROS), in order to identify respiratory and oxygen-tolerant phenotypes. Most strains were able to cope with aerobic conditions and for many strains aerobic growth and heme or heme/menaquinone supplementation increased biomass production compared to anaerobic cultivation. Only four L. casei strains showed a catalase-like activity under anaerobic, aerobic and respiratory conditions and were able to survive in presence of H2O2 (1 mM). Almost all L. casei and L. paracasei strains tolerated menadione (0.2 mM) and most tolerated pyrogallol (50 mM), while L. rhamnosus was usually resistant only to the latter compound. This is the first study in which an extensive screening of oxygen and oxidative stress tolerance of members of the L. casei group has been carried out. Results allowed the selection of strains showing the typical traits of aerobic and respiratory metabolism (increased pH and biomass under aerobic or respiratory conditions) and unique oxidative stress response properties. Aerobic growth and respiration may confer technological and physiological advantages in the L. casei group and oxygen-tolerant phenotypes could be exploited in several food industry applications.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Physiological
  • Aerobiosis
  • Hydrogen Peroxide / pharmacology
  • Lacticaseibacillus casei / drug effects
  • Lacticaseibacillus casei / growth & development*
  • Lacticaseibacillus casei / physiology
  • Oxidative Stress
  • Pyrogallol / pharmacology
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
  • Vitamin K 3 / pharmacology

Substances

  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Pyrogallol
  • Vitamin K 3
  • Hydrogen Peroxide

Grants and funding

This work was funded by Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca, Rome, Italy, Project FIRB 2010 “Futuro in Ricerca”, n. RBFR107VML. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.