Strain diversity of plant‐associated Lactiplantibacillus plantarum

Abstract

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (formerly Lactobacillus plantarum) is a lactic acid bacteria species found on plants that is essential for many plant food fermentations. In this study, we investigated the intraspecific phenotypic and genetic diversity of 13 L. plantarum strains isolated from different plant foods, including fermented olives and tomatoes, cactus fruit, teff injera, wheat boza and wheat sourdough starter. We found that strains from the same or similar plant food types frequently exhibited similar carbohydrate metabolism and stress tolerance responses. The isolates from acidic, brine-containing ferments (olives and tomatoes) were more resistant to MRS adjusted to pH 3.5 or containing 4% w/v NaCl, than those recovered from grain fermentations. Strains from fermented olives grew robustly on raffinose as the sole carbon source and were better able to grow in the presence of ethanol (8% v/v or sequential exposure of 8% (v/v) and then 12% (v/v) ethanol) than most isolates from other plant types and the reference strain NCIMB8826R. Cell free culture supernatants from the olive-associated strains were also more effective at inhibiting growth of an olive spoilage strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Multi-locus sequence typing and comparative genomics indicated that isolates from the same source tended to be genetically related. However, despite these similarities, other traits were highly variable between strains from the same plant source, including the capacity for biofilm formation and survival at pH 2 or 50°C. Genomic comparisons were unable to resolve strain differences, with the exception of the most phenotypically impaired and robust isolates, highlighting the importance of utilizing phenotypic studies to investigate differences between strains of L. plantarum. The findings show that L. plantarum is adapted for growth on specific plants or plant food types, but that intraspecific variation may be important for ecological fitness and strain coexistence within individual habitats.

Evaluation of IR Biotyper for Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Typing and Its Application Potential in Probiotic Preliminary Screening

“…Lactiplantibacillus plantarum is a model species for research in lactobacilli, which comprise an important group of probiotics for both humans and animals ( Martino et al, 2016 ; Choi et al, 2018 ; Teame et al, 2020 ; Yu et al, 2020 , 2021 ). L. plantarum strains have diverse phenotypes and genotypes that facilitate a metabolic flexibility that allow them to colonize a variety of environments, including the human gastrointestinal tract ( Pretzer et al, 2005 ; Marco et al, 2010 ; Fidanza et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Previous studies have shown that various phenotypic and genotypic methods, such as MLST, Asc I-PFGE, and WGS, allow L. plantarum to be typed at the interspecies and intraspecies levels ( Guidone et al, 2014 ; Martino et al, 2016 ; Evanovich et al, 2019 ; Manzoor and Tayyeb, 2019 ; Yu et al, 2021 ). Although these methods have completely updated our understanding of the bacterial population structure, they ignore the phenotypic variations caused by certain genetic changes, especially genotypic or phenotypic characteristics related to key macromolecules on the cell surface.…”

“…In addition, L. plantarum is used as a starter culture in multiple food and beverage fermentations and as a probiotic for both animals and humans, making it of considerable academic and economic importance ( das Neves Selis et al, 2021 ). L. plantarum has been classified as a “nomadic” or “generalist” bacterium because of its diverse habitats ( Martino et al, 2016 ; Choi et al, 2018 ; Yu et al, 2020 , 2021 ). Consistent with its broad environmental and host ranges, L. plantarum strains have significant intraspecific genetic and phenotypic versatility due to strain-specific genes ( Molenaar et al, 2005 ; Zheng et al, 2015 ; Duar et al, 2017 ; Salvetti et al, 2018 ; Cen et al, 2020 ; Pan et al, 2021 ).…”

The Interactions among Isolates of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Dairy Yeast Contaminants: Towards Biocontrol Applications

“…The sensitivity of these strains significantly influenced the results. C. apicola and C. atlantica were identified in brines [54] and as part of cheese micro-flora in cheese with a long ripening period (up to 60 days) [55,56]. However, their effect on cheeses is not confirmed to be detrimental.…”

Calcium determines Lactiplantibacillus plantarum intraspecies competitive fitness

“…This result shows how these bacteria have adapted for coexistence in that environment. The capacity for the single macronutrient calcium to restore B1.3 competitive fitness in laboratory culture medium suggests that L. plantarum intraspecies diversity found in food systems is fine-tuned to nutrient requirements at the strain level.Recent comparative genomic analysis and phenotypic screening approaches have shown the tremendous intraspecific variation in the L. plantarum species (14,19,20). We recently reported that L. plantarum from the same (fermented) plant food type tend to use the same carbohydrates for growth and exhibit similar stress tolerance levels, indicating the presence of strong selective pressures for strain selection and adaptation within those environments (20).However, despite certain similarities, strain variation is not limited to isolation source, and we and others showed that L. plantarum strains recovered from the same food, plant, or animal environment can have very different genotypic and phenotypic properties (19).…”