Lactobacillus mucosae

Lactobacillus mucosae
Scientific classification
Domain:	Bacteria
Phylum:	Firmicutes
Class:	Bacilli
Order:	Lactobacillales
Family:	Lactobacillaceae
Genus:	Lactobacillus
Species:	L. mucosae
Binomial name
Lactobacillus mucosae Roos, Karner & Axelsson, 2000

Lactobacillus mucosae is a rod shaped species of lactic acid bacteria first isolated from pig intestines. It has mucus-binding activity. The species is an obligate anaerobe, catalase-negative, doesn't form spores and is non-motile. Its type strain is S32T, and has been found to be most closely related to Lactobacillus reuteri.

Lactobacillus mucosae was unexpectedly discovered by researchers from the Department of Microbiology at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences while trying to isolate new strains of Lactobacillus reuteri from the intestines of pigs. The experiment in which the organism was isolated used a gene probe derived from a cell-surface protein believed to aid in mucus-binding activity. The gene that encodes for this protein is referred to as the Mub gene, and the purpose of the experiment was to link the presence of the Mub gene with mucus-binding activity.

The name Lactobacillus mucosae is derived from the Latin terms lacto, bacillus, and mūcōsus, meaning 'slimy milk-bacteria'. The species name mucosae refers to the mucus binding colonization factor gene mub found in L. mucosae and the related Lactobacillus reuteri.

There are over 60 Lactobacillus species known, many of which have been isolated from animal gastrointestinal tracts. Examples of other Lactobacilli isolated from pig intestines include L. fermentum, L. acidophilus, and L. reuteri.

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