sp. nov., a novel fructophilic species isolated from flowers of .

A survey of fructophilic lactic acid bacteria associated with wild and cultivated plants in the metropolitan area of Valencia (Spain) led to the isolation of a novel strain of the genus , named Es01, from flowers of . The genus encompasses a single species, . Partial 16S rRNA coding gene sequencing revealed a similarity of 98.

Phosphate Uptake and Its Relation to Arsenic Toxicity in Lactobacilli.

The use of probiotic lactobacilli has been proposed as a strategy to mitigate damage associated with exposure to toxic metals. Their protective effect against cationic metal ions, such as those of mercury or lead, is believed to stem from their chelating and accumulating potential. However, their retention of anionic toxic metalloids, such as inorganic arsenic, is generally low.

Ppx1 putative exopolyphosphatase is essential for polyphosphate accumulation in .

The linear polymer polyphosphate (poly-P) is present across all three domains of life and serves diverse physiological functions. The enzyme polyphosphate kinase (Ppk) is responsible for poly-P synthesis, whereas poly-P degradation is carried out by the enzyme exopolyphosphatase (Ppx). In many , the Ppk-encoding gene () is found clustered together with two genes encoding putative exopolyphosphatases ( and ) each having different domain compositions, with the gene order .

Protective effects of oral administration of lactic acid bacteria strains against methylmercury-induced intestinal toxicity in a murine model.

The utilization of lactic acid bacteria has been proposed to mitigate the burden of heavy metal exposure through processes probably involving chelation and reduced metal bioaccessibility. We evaluated the effects of daily intake of two strains of lactobacilli (Lactobacillus intestinalis LE1 or Lactobacillus johnsonii LE2) on intestinal toxicity during methylmercury (MeHg) exposure through drinking water (5 mg/L) for two months in mice. MeHg exposure resulted in inflammation and oxidative stress at the colon, as well as an increase in intestinal permeability accompanied by decreased fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFA).