Fermentation and proteome profiles of Lactobacillus plantarum strains during growth under food-like conditions.

This study aimed at investigating the proteomic adaptation of Lactobacillus plantarum strains. Cultivation of L. plantarum strains under food-like conditions (wheat flour hydrolyzed, whey milk, tomato juice) affected some metabolic traits (e.g., consumption of carbohydrates and synthesis of organic acids) compared to de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) broth. The analysis of the fermentation profile showed that the highest number of carbon sources metabolized by L. plantarum strains was found using cells cultivated in media containing low concentration of glucose or no glucose at all. The proteomic maps of the strains were comparatively determined after growth on MRS broth and under food-like conditions. The amount of proteins depended on strain and, especially, on culture conditions. Proteins showing decreased or increased amounts under food-like conditions were identified using MALDI-TOF-MS/MS or LC-nano-ESI-MS/MS. Changes of the proteome concerned proteins that are involved in carbohydrate transport and metabolism, energy metabolism, Sec-dependent secretion system, stress response, nucleotide metabolism, regulation of nitrogen metabolism, and protein biosynthesis. A catabolic repression by glucose on carbohydrate transport and metabolism was also found. The characterization of the proteomes in response to changing environmental conditions could be useful to get L. plantarum strains adapted for specific applications. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Microbial cell performance during food biotechnological processes has become one of the greatest concerns all over the world. L. plantarum is a lactic acid bacterium with a large industrial application for fermented foods or functional foods (e.g., probiotics). The present study compared the fermentation and proteomic profiling of L. plantarum strains during growth under food-like conditions and under optimal laboratory conditions (MRS broth). This study provides specific mechanisms of proteomic adaptation involved in the microbial performances (carbohydrates utilization, energy metabolism, stress resistance, etc.) affecting the main biotechnological tracts of L. plantarum strains. The finding of this study provides evidences that may be exploited to get strains adapted for specific applications in food biotechnology.