Functional analysis of exopolysaccharides in Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG.

A probiotic bacterium is "a live micro-organism that, when administered in adequate amounts, confers a healt benefit on the host". The health effects of probiotics are widely studied in clinical trials, but the molecular knowledge on the special characteristics of these strains is lacking behind. Exopolysaccharides at bacterial cell surfaces are thought to play an important role in the interaction between bacteria and their host. This project aims to (i) characterize the EPS molecules of the "prototypical" probiotic strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LGG), and (ii) to investigate the role of EPS in a number of important probiotic characteristics such as survival in the gastrointestinal tract, adhesion to the gut epithelium, interaction with the immune system, and interaction with gut pathogens. Research on the genes and molecules of LGG that contribute to its adaptation and survival in the host and to its probiotic actions should ultimately lead to an optimized and more focused application of LGG and related probiotic strains.

Keywords:Probiotics, Surface polysaccharides, Bacterial genetics, Gastrointestinal tract, Adherence, Innate immunity

Disciplines:Genetics, Systems biology, Molecular and cell biology, Microbiology, Laboratory medicine, Other chemical sciences, Nutrition and dietetics, Agricultural animal production, Food sciences and (bio)technology, Biomaterials engineering, Biological system engineering, Biomechanical engineering, Other (bio)medical engineering, Environmental engineering and biotechnology, Industrial biotechnology, Other biotechnology, bio-engineering and biosystem engineering