Effect of superoxide dismutase and manganese on superoxide tolerance in strain Shirota and analysis of multiple manganese transporters.

The / group accumulates a high level of manganese, which works to scavenge superoxide anions produced during aerobic growth. The genome of strain Shirota, however, also codes the gene for superoxide dismutase (SOD), , which catalyzes the dismutation of superoxide anion into hydrogen peroxide and oxygen. We anticipated that the SOD and/or manganese may contribute to the aerobic growth of Shirota and tried to clarify how Shirota can eliminate the toxicity of superoxide anion.

Application of lectin microarray to bacteria including Lactobacillus casei/paracasei strains.

Since 2005, lectin microarray technology has emerged as a simple and powerful technique for comprehensive glycan analysis. By using evanescent-field fluorescence detection technique, it has been applied for analysis of not only glycoproteins and glycolipids secreted by eukaryotic cells but also glycoconjugates on the cell surface of live eukaryotic cells. Bacterial cells are known to be decorated with polysaccharides, teichoic acids, and proteins in the peptide glycans of their cell wall and lipoteichoic acids in their phospholipid bilayer.

Monitoring immune modulation by nutrition in the general population: identifying and substantiating effects on human health.

Optimal functioning of the immune system is crucial to human health, and nutrition is one of the major exogenous factors modulating different aspects of immune function. Currently, no single marker is available to predict the effect of a dietary intervention on different aspects of immune function. To provide further guidance on the assessment and interpretation of the modulation of immune functions due to nutrition in the general population, International Life Sciences Institute Europe commissioned a group of experts from academia, government and the food industry to prepare a guidance document.

Roles of thioredoxin and thioredoxin reductase in the resistance to oxidative stress in Lactobacillus casei.

The Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota used in this study has in the genome four putative thioredoxin genes designated trxA1, trxA2, trxA3 and trxA4, and one putative thioredoxin reductase gene designated trxB. To elucidate the roles of the thioredoxins and the thioredoxin reductase against oxidative stress in L. casei, we constructed gene disruption mutants, in which each of the genes trxA1, trxA2 and trxB, or both trxA1 and trxA2 were disrupted, and we characterized their growth and response to oxidative stresses.

Lectin microarray reveals binding profiles of Lactobacillus casei strains in a comprehensive analysis of bacterial cell wall polysaccharides.

We previously showed a pivotal role of the polysaccharide (PS) moiety in the cell wall of the Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota (YIT 9029) as a possible immune modulator (E. Yasuda M. Serata, and T.

Suppressive effect on activation of macrophages by Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota genes determining the synthesis of cell wall-associated polysaccharides.

Although many Lactobacillus strains used as probiotics are believed to modulate host immune responses, the molecular natures of the components of such probiotic microorganisms directly involved in immune modulation process are largely unknown. We aimed to assess the function of polysaccharide moiety of the cell wall of Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota as a possible immune modulator which regulates cytokine production by macrophages. A gene survey of the genome sequence of L.