Prophage distribution and phage characteristics based on the genome of Lactobacillus plantarum derived from kimchi were investigated. Prophage genomes retrieved from a database were analyzed in silico with prophage inducibility. Twenty-one kimchi-derived L. plantarum had at least one intact prophage, including a putative cryptic state on the chromosome. They were all confirmed to belong to the Siphoviridae family. Intact prophages can be classified into three different groups: PM411-like, Sha1-like, and unclassified phage groups. Some prophage regions were encoded with superinfection exclusion proteins and orphan methylases, suggesting that the phages co-evolved with their hosts. Interestingly, prophage inducibility showed that only DNA damage could induce prophages and that pH stresses by organic acids could not. Therefore, the prophage of L. plantarum did not affect the host unless DNA was damaged, and it would hardly affect the viability of the host through phage induction during kimchi fermentation. Our results might provide insights into the distribution and non-inducibility of prophages, existence of phage-immunity genes, and role of plant-derived L. plantarum prophages in host survival during late acidic kimchi fermentation.

研究了基于源自泡菜的植物乳杆菌基因组的噬菌体分布和噬菌体特征。从数据库中检索到的原噬菌体基因组在具有原噬菌体诱导能力的计算机上进行了分析。21 种源自泡菜的植物乳杆菌至少有一个完整的原噬菌体，包括染色体上假定的隐蔽状态。他们都被证实属于虹吸病毒科家庭。完整的原噬菌体可以分为三个不同的组：PM411 样、Sha1 样和未分类的噬菌体组。一些原噬菌体区域由重复感染排除蛋白和孤儿甲基化酶编码，表明噬菌体与其宿主共同进化。有趣的是，原噬菌体诱导性表明只有 DNA 损伤才能诱导原噬菌体，而有机酸引起的 pH 胁迫则不能。因此，植物乳杆菌的原噬菌体除非DNA受到破坏，否则不会影响宿主，并且在泡菜发酵过程中通过噬菌体诱导几乎不会影响宿主的生存能力。我们的研究结果可能有助于深入了解原噬菌体的分布和非诱导性、噬菌体免疫基因的存在以及植物来源的植物乳杆菌的作用 晚期酸性泡菜发酵过程中宿主存活中的原噬菌体。