Isolation of surface (S) layer protein carrying Lactobacillus species from porcine intestine and faeces and characterization of their adhesion properties to different host tissues.

Surface-layer proteins (Slps) of lactobacilli have been shown to confer tissue adherence. This study aimed to isolate and identify Slps carrying Lactobacillus species from the porcine intestine and faeces and to characterize these S-layer-expressing strains for their ability to adhere to the pig and human intestinal cells and to extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. In total 99 strains, putatively belonging to the genus Lactobacillus, were isolated as pure cultures. SDS-PAGE and a gene probe specific for the Lactobacillus brevis ATCC 8287 S-layer protein gene (slpA) were used to screen the presence of strains possessing putative Slps. Eight of the 99 pure cultures exhibited Slps according to the SDS-PAGE analyses. In these strains the presence of genes encoding Slps was confirmed by PCR and partial sequencing. Only one isolate of the 99 strains gave a positive hybridisation signal with the L. brevis slpA probe but did not appear to produce S-layer protein. Their taxonomic identification, based on phenotyping and the 16S rRNA sequences, revealed that the eight S-layer protein-producing strains were closely related to Lactobacillus amylovorus, Lactobacillus sobrius and Lactobacillus crispatus. The strain with the slpA positive hybridisation result was identified as Lactobacillus mucosae. The SDS-extractable protein profile, the size of the putative S-layer protein and binding capability of the strains varied greatly, even among the isolates belonging to the same Lactobacillus cluster. Removal of the intact Slps from the bacterial surface by extraction with guanidine hydrochloride reduced the adhesion of some strains to fibronectin and laminin, whereas, the adhesiveness to laminin increased with some strains.