In vitro cultivation of human fecal microbiota on fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and bioinformatic analysis of Lactobacillus paracasei Lp02 that can fully utilize FOS

Feces of two healthy Korean adult female were cultured with fructooligosaccharides as carbon sources and several lactic acid bacteria were isolated. Culture experiment revealed that most of the isolated LAB showed only 1-kestose-degrading activity, whereas, the strain L. paracasei Lp02 exhibited degrading activity of all three fructooligosaccharides. Therefore, we analyzed the complete whole genome data of L. paracasei Lp02, it consists of a circular chromosome and two plasmid. Genomic analysis suggested that putative FOS utilization gene cluster was located in a single mRNA. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that was partially present in Lactobacillus species that could not degrade fructooligosaccharides, and it was suggested that fosE may be involved in the degradation of fructooligosaccharides. Therefore, we also analyzed transcriptome of strain Lp02. The bioinformatic analysis of L. paracasei Lp02 could improve the understanding of the fructooligosaccharides degradation mechanisms of Lactobacillus species.