Expanding the genetic programmability of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum

Abstract

Lactobacilli are ubiquitous in nature and symbiotically provide health benefits for countless organisms including humans, animals and plants. They are vital for the fermented food industry and are being extensively explored for healthcare applications. For all these reasons, there is considerable interest in enhancing and controlling their capabilities through the engineering of genetic modules and circuits. One of the most robust and reliable microbial chassis for these synthetic biology applications is the widely used Lactiplantibacillus plantarum species. However, the genetic toolkit needed to advance its applicability remains poorly equipped. This mini‐review highlights the genetic parts that have been discovered to achieve food‐grade recombinant protein production and speculates on lessons learned from these studies for L. plantarum engineering. Furthermore, strategies to identify, create and optimize genetic parts for real‐time regulation of gene expression and enhancement of biosafety are also suggested.

Mutualistic interactions of lactate‐producing lactobacilli and lactate‐utilizing Veillonella dispar: Lactate and glutamate cross‐feeding for the enhanced growth and short‐chain fatty acid production

“…Meanwhile, the catabolism of aspartate and glutamine converges into pyrimidine metabolism, revealing an intricate connection between these differentially expressed pathways (Figure S3 ). In recent years, the manipulation of the gene expression of traditional probiotics such as L. plantarum in order to gain better health‐promoting effects is also being extensively explored (Blanch‐Asensio et al., 2024 ).…”