Potential use of ' Lactobacillus fermentum ' 3872 as an anti-campylobacter agent

Due to the rise of multidrug resistant form of pathogenic microorganisms, alternative intervention tools are in urgent need. One option is to employ beneficial (probiotic) bacteria, which could compete with pathogens for host cell attachment cites and elicit antibacterial activity. Lactobacillus fermentum strain 3872, which revealed outstanding probiotic activity, is a good candidate for such studies. Genome sequencing of this strain revealed a novel plasmid (pLF3872) containing a gene, encoding a collagen-binding proteins (CBP). The plasmid was not found in any other strains of the species. The chromosomal genome sequence of this strain (2.3 Mb) was found to contain other genes potentially contributing to its beneficial effects, such as those encoding a mucus binding protein and other adhesins, as well as a bacteriocin-encoding gene not found in other sequenced genomes of these bacteria. ELISA-based attachment experiments revealed competition of L. fermentum 3872 with Campylobacter jejuni strain 11168H for binding to collagen I, which is a ubiquitous structure making up the gastrointestinal tract. The results suggest that L. fermentum 3872 can potentially be used for competitive exclusion of Campylobacter jejuni, which is the most important gastrointestinal pathogen.