Spase Stojanov (Author), Tina Vida Plavec (Author), Julijana Kristl (Author), Špela Zupančič (Author), Aleš Berlec (Author)

Abstract

Lactobacilli are a promising natural tool against vaginal dysbiosis and infections. However, new local delivery systems and additional knowledge about their distribution and mechanism of action would contribute to the development of effective medicine. This will be facilitated by the introduction of the techniques for effective, inexpensive, and real-time tracking of these probiotics following their release. Here, we engineered three model vaginal lactobacilli (Lactobacillus crispatus ATCC 33820, Lactobacillus gasseri ATCC 33323, and Lactobacillus jensenii ATCC 25258) and a control Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 to express fluorescent proteins with different spectral properties, including infrared fluorescent protein (IRFP), green fluorescent protein (GFP), red fluorescent protein (mCherry), and blue fluorescent protein (mTagBFP2). The expression of these fluorescent proteins differed between the Lactobacillus species and enabled quantification and discrimination between lactobacilli, with the longer wavelength fluorescent proteins showing superior resolving power. Each Lactobacillus strain was labeled with an individual fluorescent protein and incorporated into poly (ethylene oxide) nanofibers using electrospinning, as confirmed by fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy. The lactobacilli retained their fluorescence in nanofibers, as well as after nanofiber dissolution. To summarize, vaginal lactobacilli were incorporated into electrospun nanofibers to provide a potential solid vaginal delivery system, and the fluorescent proteins were introduced to distinguish between them and allow their tracking in the future probiotic-delivery studies.

Keywords

lactobacilli;vaginal probiotics;fluorescent proteins;electrospinning;nanofibers;probiotic analysis;probiotic delivery;

Data

Language: English
Year of publishing:
Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
Organization: UL FFA - Faculty of Pharmacy
UDC: 577
COBISS: 90159363 Link will open in a new window
ISSN: 1422-0067
Views: 65
Downloads: 25
Average score: 0 (0 votes)
Metadata: JSON JSON-RDF JSON-LD TURTLE N-TRIPLES XML RDFA MICRODATA DC-XML DC-RDF RDF

Other data

Type (COBISS): Article
Pages: str. 13631-1-13631-18
Volume: ǂVol. ǂ22
Issue: ǂno. ǂ24
Chronology: 2021
DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413631
ID: 15417494