Transformation of, and heterologous protein expression in, Lactobacillus agilis and Lactobacillus vaginalis isolates from the chicken gastrointestinal tract.

ABSTRACT: Lactobacilli are naturally found in the gastrointestinal tract of chickens, and there is interest in utilizing autochthonous strains for the delivery of therapeutic proteins. Previously we identified three chicken-derived Lactobacillus strains, Lactobacillus agilis La3, Lactobacillus vaginalis Lv5, and Lactobacillus crispatus Lc9, which persist in the gastrointestinal tract of chickens fed either a commercial or high-protein diet. In the current study, we investigated the ability to electrotransform these strains, determined plasmid vector stability, and compared reporter gene expression directed by several different promoters. The La3 and Lv5 strains were reproducibly transformed with efficiencies of 10(8) and 10(6) transformants per microgram of plasmid DNA, respectively. The third strai

SUBMITTER: Stephenson DP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3019714 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature