Unique niche-specific adaptation of fructophilic lactic acid bacteria and proposal of three Apilactobacillus species as novel members of the group
Date
2021-02-09
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
BMC (part of Springer Nature)
Abstract
Background: Fructophilic lactic acid bacteria (FLAB) found in D-fructose rich niches prefer D-fructose over Dglucose
as a growth substrate. They need electron acceptors for growth on D-glucose. The organisms share
carbohydrate metabolic properties. Fructobacillus spp., Apilactobacillus kunkeei, and Apilactobacillus apinorum are
members of this unique group. Here we studied the fructophilic characteristics of recently described species
Apilactobacillus micheneri, Apilactobacillus quenuiae, and Apilactobacillus timberlakei.
Results: The three species prefer D-fructose over D-glucose and only metabolize D-glucose in the presence of
electron acceptors. The genomic characteristics of the three species, i.e. small genomes and thus a low number of
coding DNA sequences, few genes involved in carbohydrate transport and metabolism, and partial deletion of adhE
gene, are characteristic of FLAB. The three species thus are novel members of FLAB. Reduction of genes involved in
carbohydrate transport and metabolism in accordance with reduction of genome size were the common
characteristics of the family Lactobacillaceae, but FLAB markedly reduced the gene numbers more than other
species in the family. Pan-genome analysis of genes involved in metabolism displayed a lack of specific
carbohydrate metabolic pathways in FLAB, leading to a unique cluster separation.
Conclusions: The present study expanded FLAB group. Fructose-rich environments have induced similar evolution
in phylogenetically distant FLAB species. These are examples of convergent evolution of LAB.
Description
CITATION: Maeno, S., et al. 2021. Unique niche-specific adaptation of fructophilic lactic acid bacteria and proposal of three Apilactobacillus species as novel members of the group. BMC Microbiology, 21:41, doi:10.1186/s12866-021-02101-9.
The original publication is available at https://bmcmicrobiol.biomedcentral.com
The original publication is available at https://bmcmicrobiol.biomedcentral.com
Keywords
Apilactobacillus -- Evolution, Niche (Ecology), Fructose, Lactic acid bacteria -- Adaptation, Glucaric acid, Bacterial growth, Convergent evolution, Comparative genomics
Citation
Maeno, S., et al. 2021. Unique niche-specific adaptation of fructophilic lactic acid bacteria and proposal of three Apilactobacillus species as novel members of the group. BMC Microbiology, 21:41, doi:10.1186/s12866-021-02101-9