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Stress Response Effectors and Strategies in Probiotics

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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2022) | Viewed by 9555

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Daniela Fiocco

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Guest Editor

Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Via Napoli, 20, 71122 Foggia, Italy
Interests: probiotics; lactic acid bacteria; host-probiotic interactions; prebiotics; stress response; small heat shock proteins; melanogenesis; antimicrobial activity
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Probiotics are gaining increasing attention thanks to the health-promoting activities associated to their dietary intake, and to their occurrence and persistence in the gut microbiota. The use of probiotics, including their production, storage, commercialization, and ingestion in the form of food or supplements, expose these microbes to a vast array of environmental stresses, which may affect their physiology and decrease their viability, hence impairing their beneficial effects on the host. Studies conducted so far, mostly in model probiotic species (i.e., lactobacilli and bifidobacteria), have evidenced complex pathways and multiple molecular strategies that are elicited to endure even harsh conditions, indicating a high adaptability. According to the specific type of stress, probiotic cells have been found to respond by i) up-regulating chaperones that stabilize, refold, and/or prevent precipitation of denaturing proteins; ii) producing proteolytic enzymes to degrade irreversibly damaged structures; iii) activating diverse detoxifying systems; and iv) modulating cell membrane lipid composition and surface adhesion properties.

Insight into the molecular mechanisms carried out by probiotics to cope with stress shall increase our overall knowledge of the cellular strategies to overcome stress, thereby providing a paradigm for general cell stress response. Moreover, from a more applicative point of view, such studies may help to rationalize the use of beneficial microbes and to improve their efficacy—for example, by providing the scientific basis for implementing technological handling and delivery systems, for finding molecular markers allowing the selection of robust strains, or even for modulating some aspects of our own lifestyle in order to maximize the performance of the probiotics hosted in our gut.

This Special Issue aims to collect original research articles and reviews covering recent advances related to the stress response mechanisms in probiotics.

Dr. Daniela Fiocco
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

probiotic
lactobacilli
bifidobacteria
environmental stress
acidity
heat stress
bile stress
ROS
chaperones
protein denaturation
membrane lipid composition
detoxifying enzymes/pumps
heat shock proteins
induced thermotolerance
cross-protection
prebiotic

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 3581 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rapid Detection of Brettanomyces bruxellensis in Wine by Polychromatic Flow Cytometry

by Domenico De Bellis, Alessio Di Stefano, Pasquale Simeone, Giulia Catitti, Simone Vespa, Antonia Patruno, Marco Marchisio, Eleonora Mari, Lisa Granchi, Carlo Viti, Piero Chiacchiaretta, Angelo Cichelli, Rosanna Tofalo and Paola Lanuti

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(23), 15091; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms232315091 - 01 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2024

Abstract

Brettanomyces bruxellensis is found in several fermented matrices and produces relevant alterations to the wine quality. The methods usually used to identify B. bruxellensis contamination are based on conventional microbiological techniques that require long procedures (15 days), causing the yeast to spread in the meantime. Recently, a flow cytometry kit for the rapid detection (1–2 h) of B. bruxellensis in wine has been developed. The feasibility of the method was assessed in a synthetic medium as well as in wine samples by detecting B. bruxellensis in the presence of other yeast species (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia spp.) and at the concentrations that produce natural contaminations (up to 10⁵ cells/mL), as well as at lower concentrations (10³–10² cells/mL). Wine samples naturally contaminated by B. bruxellensis or inoculated with four different strains of B. bruxellensis species together with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia spp., were analyzed by flow cytometry. Plate counts were carried out in parallel to flow cytometry. We provide evidence that flow cytometry allows the rapid detection of B. bruxellensis in simple and complex mixtures. Therefore, this technique has great potential for the detection of B. bruxellensis and could allow preventive actions to reduce wine spoilage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Response Effectors and Strategies in Probiotics)

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12 pages, 1900 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Lactobacillus paracasei KW3110 Prevents Inflammatory-Stress-Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Mouse Macrophages

by Takahiro Yamazaki, Sayuri Yamada, Konomi Ohshio, Miho Sugamata and Yuji Morita

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(3), 1443; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms23031443 - 27 Jan 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2359

Abstract

Lactobacillus paracasei KW3110 (KW3110) has anti-inflammatory effects, including the prevention of blue light exposure induced retinal inflammation and ageing-related chronic inflammation in mice. The mechanism involves the promotion of anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-10 production by KW3110, leading to reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β production. Although various stress-induced mitochondrial damages are associated with excessive inflammatory responses, the effect of KW3110 on inflammatory-stress-induced mitochondrial damage remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the effect of KW3110 on inflammatory stress-induced mitochondrial damage using the murine macrophage-like cell line J774A.1. KW3110 treatment suppressed lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, including downregulation of membrane potential, induction of reactive oxygen species, and respiratory dysfunction. In addition, KW3110 prevented LPS-induced disruption of mitochondrial morphology including cristae structures. IL-10 treatment also ameliorated LPS-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and morphology disruption. These results suggest that KW3110 prevents LPS-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, potentially via promoting IL-10 production in mouse macrophages. We are the first to reveal a suppressive effect of lactic acid bacteria on mitochondrial morphology disruption in inflammatory-stressed macrophages. Our findings contribute to understanding inflammatory-stress-induced mitochondrial damage and developing food ingredients with preventive effects on mitochondrial-damage-derived inflammatory conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Response Effectors and Strategies in Probiotics)

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Review

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35 pages, 1607 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Therapeutic Role of Exercise and Probiotics in Stressful Brain Conditions

by Ismael Martínez-Guardado, Silvia Arboleya, Francisco Javier Grijota, Aleksandra Kaliszewska, Miguel Gueimonde and Natalia Arias

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(7), 3610; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms23073610 - 25 Mar 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4589

Abstract

Oxidative stress has been recognized as a contributing factor in aging and in the progression of multiple neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s dementia, ischemic stroke, and head and spinal cord injury. The increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, altered metal homeostasis, and compromised brain antioxidant defence. All these changes have been reported to directly affect synaptic activity and neurotransmission in neurons, leading to cognitive dysfunction. In this context two non-invasive strategies could be employed in an attempt to improve the aforementioned stressful brain status. In this regard, it has been shown that exercise could increase the resistance against oxidative stress, thus providing enhanced neuroprotection. Indeed, there is evidence suggesting that regular physical exercise diminishes BBB permeability as it reinforces antioxidative capacity, reduces oxidative stress, and has anti-inflammatory effects. However, the differential effects of different types of exercise (aerobic exhausted exercise, anaerobic exercise, or the combination of both types) and the duration of physical activity will be also addressed in this review as likely determinants of therapeutic efficacy. The second proposed strategy is related to the use of probiotics, which can also reduce some biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines, although their underlying mechanisms of action remain unclear. Moreover, various probiotics produce neuroactive molecules that directly or indirectly impact signalling in the brain. In this review, we will discuss how physical activity can be incorporated as a component of therapeutic strategies in oxidative stress-based neurological disorders along with the augmentation of probiotics intake. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Response Effectors and Strategies in Probiotics)

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