Use of green fluorescent protein to monitor Lactobacillus plantarum in the gastrointestinal tract of goats

Han, XufengWang, LeiLi, WeiLi, BiboYang, YuxinYan, HailongQu, LeiChen, Yulin

<p>The experiment aimed to specifically monitor the passage of lactobacilli <italic>in vivo</italic> after oral administration. The green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene was cloned downstream from the constitutive p32 promoter from <italic>L. lactis subsp. cremoris</italic> Wg2. The recombinant expression vector, pLEM415-gfp-p32, was electroporated into <italic>Lactobacillus plantarum</italic> (<italic>L</italic>. <italic>plantarum</italic>) isolated from goat. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) was successfully expressed in <italic>L. plantarum</italic>. After 2 h post-administration, transformed <italic>Lactobacillus</italic> could be detectable in all luminal contents. In the rumen, bacteria concentration initially decreased, reached the minimum at 42 h post-oral administration and then increased. However, this concentration decreased constantly in the duodenum. This result indicated that <italic>L. plantarum</italic> could colonize in the rumen but not in the duodenum.</p>.(AU)

1. Green fluorescent protein
2. Goat
3. Gastro-intestinal tract
4. <italic>Lactobacillus plantarum</italic>