Biodiversity of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Traditional Fermented Foods in Yunnan Province, China, and Comparative Genomics of <i>Lactobacillus plantarum</i>

Abstract

The diversity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in fermented foods in Yunnan currently lacks large-scale and systematic research. A total of 638 fermented foods were collected from 84 regions in Yunnan for diversity analyses. The results show that the dominant strains in various types of fermented foods were different. Additionally, the majority of the LAB were better adapted to regions with a temperature of 15–20 °C and a humidity of 64–74%. Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) was the most abundant of all the strains and was widely distributed in the 84 regions. Genetically, the guanine plus cytosine (GC) content of L. plantarum ranged from 35.60% to 47.90%, with genome sizes from 2.54 Mb to 5.76 Mb. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that the habitat source and geographic origin had little influence on the homologous genes of L. plantarum. The genetic diversity of L. plantarum was mostly represented by functional genes and carbohydrate utilization. This research provides valuable insights into the microbiota of different types of fermented foods in Yunnan. Meanwhile, a genetic diversity analysis of L. plantarum may help us to understand the evolutionary history of this species.

Keywords

• biodiversity
• lactic acid bacteria
• fermented foods
• comparative genomics
• carbohydrate utilization