Phenotypic and genomic diversity of Lactobacillus plantarum strains isolated from various environmental niches.

Lactobacillus plantarum is a ubiquitous microorganism that is able to colonize several ecological niches, including vegetables, meat, dairy substrates and the gastro-intestinal tract. An extensive phenotypic and genomic diversity analysis was conducted to elucidate the molecular basis of the high flexibility and versatility of this species. First, 185 isolates from diverse environments were phenotypically characterized by evaluating their fermentation and growth characteristics.