MolMecGG
From Secretome to Interactome: Molecular Analysis of Probiotic Mechanisms of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG)
Consortium Leader:
Professor Airi Palva, University of Helsinki, Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences (http://www.vetmed.helsinki.fi)
Other group leaders:
Professor Seppo Salminen, University of Turku, Functional Foods Forum (http://fff.utu.fi)
Professor Willem de Vos, University of Wageningen, Laboratory of Microbiology
Other persons involved in the project:
ABSTRACT
Our gastrointestinal tract and mucous membranes are colonized since birth by a diverse and complex collection of microbes (microbiota) that process food and food components, stimulate a wide range of host functions, and communicate with each other and the host. The development of complete genomic sequences of both microbes and man has greatly advanced the possibilities to characterize the molecular details of specific host-microbe interactions as well as to exploit these in dietary and therapeutic interventions. The successful introduction of new health promoting microbes as probiotics has a prerequisite of mechanistic evidence prior to clinical intervention studies. Now that genomics tools have become available, the clarification of adhesion based properties for Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) can derive novel opportunities for its application. LGG is among the world's most prominent probiotic food innovations, has been characterized at the genome level, and has a long and recorded tradition of safe consumption in Finland. Since the genome sequences of LGG and other related lactic acid bacteria (LAB) will become available, the project aims to bring together three research teams in this field to form an international network for the ELVIRA programme and to address the interactions of LGG and the human host in a quest for probiotic mechanisms. This will be approached by focusing on LGG predicted secreted proteins (the secretome), and their interactions with components from the human intestine that will be characterized using advanced biochemical and genomics tools. The analysis of this so called interactome will contribute to unique insight into microbe-host- interactions and microbe-microbe interactions, and offer a basis for industrial strain improvement, quality and safety control, and the development of new gut-impact innovations.
Key words: host-microbe interactions, probiotic mechanisms, post-genomics, interactome research