Exploring the probiotic potential, antioxidant capacity, and healthy aging based on whole genome analysis of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LPJBC5 isolated from fermented milk product

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum is a beneficial bacterium commonly found in fermented foods, including fermented milk products. In the present study, we reported the whole genome sequence of L. plantarum LPJBC5. The complete genome sequence of LPJBC5 was 3.23Mb, and the average GC% was found to be 44.55% encoding a total of 3016 genes. A comprehensive analysis of the LPJBC5 genome detected major carbohydrate-active enzymes, exopolysaccharide synthesis genes (eps), and the presence of genes related to stress response and antioxidant activity. Longevity regulating genes including katE, CAT (chloramphenicol acetyltransferase), catB and their regulating pathways (MAPK signaling pathway) were detected in the LPJBC5 genome. The genome was found to contain plantaracin (pln) operon for the production of antimicrobial bacteriocin and various regions of secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters, including the type III polyketide synthases (T3PKS), Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide product (Ripp-Like), which exhibit specific antimicrobial activity. A comparative pangenome analysis was performed to further evaluate the metabolic framework of L. plantarum JBC5, including the complete L. plantarum genome (N=30) retrieved from publicly available repositories. The core/soft-core genome was found to harbor probiotic associated marker genes. Functional analysis revealed the presence of genes majorly enriched in cell wall/membrane/envelop biogenesis, carbohydrate metabolism and transport, amino acid metabolism and transport, translational mechanism, and transcription processes. Identification of probiotic and longevity associated genes suggests that LPJBC5 holds potential as a probiotic candidate with multifaceted applications in the food industries.