GENOMIC CHARACTERIZATION AND PROBIOTIC PROPERTIES OF Limosilactobacillus fermentum JAC231

INTRODUCTION: Strains of Limosilactobacillus fermentum are known for their probiotic properties, and have been studied for helping to maintain the function of the epithelial barrier, performing competitive exclusion and having antimicrobial effects for the treatment of several infectious pathologies, such as those of the gastrointestinal and vaginal tracts. In addition to offering beneficial effects to the host, in order to be considered a probiotic, the microorganism must preferably be of human origin, safe and free of vectors capable of transferring resistance genes, pathogenicity and toxicity factors, as well as survivability in intestinal conditions. The objective of this study was to perform the genomic characterization and probiotic properties of a new vaginal isolate of L. fermentum JAC 231. methods: The sequencing of the genome of the bacterium was performed, as well as the identification and analysis of peptide-coding sequences using RAST, a search for common orthologous proteins among different strains of the same species (MCC 2760, AGR 1485, ATCC 23271, CECT 5716, and IFO 3956) using Orthovenn3. The analysis of genes related to pathogenicity, virulence, antimicrobial resistance, and the presence of plasmids was performed with RAST, PlasmidFinder, PathogenFinder, VirulenceFinder, PathogenFinder, ResFinder, and CARD tools. The presence of CRISPR-CA sequences was investigated by the CRISPRfinder program. Tolerance to gastrointestinal conditions (pH, bile salts and mucin adherence) and antibiotic susceptibility profile were determined