Molecular Insights into How Lactobacilli Function as Probiotics
Lactobacilli have played a crucial role in the production of fermented foods for centuries. They are also part of the mutualistic microbiota found in the human gastrointestinal and urogenital tracts. Recently, there has been growing interest in their probiotic and health-promoting properties. Many human intervention studies demonstrating health effects have been published. However, since not all studies yielded positive results, scientific interest has arisen regarding the precise mechanisms of action of probiotics.
Uncovering the Bacterial Traits Underlying Probiotic Activity
Many reported mechanistic studies have focused primarily on host responses, with less attention paid to the specific characteristics of the bacterial partners, despite the completion of Lactobacillus genome sequencing projects and the growing potential for genomics-based and dedicated mutant analyses. In this emerging and highly interdisciplinary field, microbiologists are facing the challenge of molecularly characterizing probiotic traits. This review discusses advances in our understanding of the probiotic-host interaction, with a focus on the molecular microbiology of lactobacilli. Insight into the molecules and genes involved should contribute to a more judicious use of probiotic lactobacilli and to improved screening of novel potential probiotics.
Authors: Sarah Lebeer, Jos Vanderleyden, and Sigrid C. J. De Keersmaecker
