Lactobacillus plantarum

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Lactobacillus plantarum
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Scientific classification
Domain: Bacteria Phylum: Firmicutes Class: Bacilli Order: Lactobacillales Family: Lactobacillaceae Genus: Lactobacillus Species: plantarum
Binomial name
Lactobacillus plantarum

Genome structure

In 2003, Michiel Kleerebezem mapped out the complete genome of Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1. Lactobacillus plantarum strain WCFS1 is known to have 3,308,274 base pairs and contains 3,052 protein-encoding genes as well as three plasmids (1,917-bp, 2,365-bp, and 36,069-bp,) which accounts for its high adaptability. The G+C content of the chromosome is 44.5%, but the plasmids contain slightly less G+C content. 1

Cell structure and metabolism

Lactobacillus plantarum is a gram positive, rod-shaped, organotrophic, bacteria often called lactic acid bacteria because it gets most of its energy from converting glucose to lactate via fermentation. 2

References

1. Michiel Kleerebezem, Jos Boekhorst, Richard van Kranenburg, Douwe Molenaar, Oscar P. Kuipers, Rob Leer, Renato Tarchini, Sander A. Peters, Hans M. Sandbrink, Mark W. E. J. Fiers, Willem Stiekema, René M. Klein Lankhorst, Peter A. Bron, Sally M. Hoffer, Masja N. Nierop Groot, Robert Kerkhoven, Maaike de Vries, Björn Ursing, Willem M. de Vos*, and Roland J. Siezen. (2003). Complete genome sequence of Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 100 (4), 1990-1995.
2. http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Lactobacillus