Characterization of the genes that were regulated by feeding with B. subtilis (natto) strains

In the present study, we investigated the effect of Bacillus subtilis var. natto on lifespan using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model animal. The lifespan of the adult C. elegans fed Bacillus subtilis var. natto MI-OMU01 strain was significantly longer than that of animals fed OP50 (control). Transcriptional profiling comparing MI-OMU01- and control-fed animals suggested that genes related to “innate immune system” were upregulated by MI-OMU01. Transcriptional profiling of three-day-old worms that were fed OP50 or B. subtilis (natto) MI-OMU01 for one day, by deep sequencing, using Illumina HiSeq.