{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]],"date-time":"2026-09-25T13:01:44Z","timestamp":1790341304762,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":56,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]],"date-time":"2026-09-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790294400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Microbiol."],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    \u03b2-1,3-glucan from\n                    <jats:italic>Euglena gracilis<\/jats:italic>\n                    is an emerging microalgal prebiotic. However, its potential to reprogram the metabolic profile of lactic acid bacteria has not been reported previously. In the present study, the effects of insoluble \u03b2-1,3-glucan on growth dynamics, gene expression, and the extracellular metabolite profile of\n                    <jats:italic>Lactococcus lactis<\/jats:italic>\n                    DSM20175 were investigated using transcriptomic and untargeted metabolomic approaches. Real-time growth monitoring combined with flow cytometric cell enumeration showed that \u03b2-1,3-glucan supplementation significantly increased both growth rate and final cell density compared with a control group that did not receive any supplementation. Transcriptomic analysis showed a broad downregulation of genes associated with carbon catabolite repression, Rgg\/GadR\/MutR-family regulators, surface proteins, and membrane transporters, likely indicating an earlier transition from exponential to stationary phase physiology. Untargeted metabolomics revealed extensive differential extracellular metabolite secretion, including shared increases in signature metabolites of fermentation, as well as \u03b2-glucan-specific elevation of aromatic and tryptophan-derived metabolites. These multi-omics data revealed that the \u03b2-1,3-glucan from\n                    <jats:italic>E. gracilis<\/jats:italic>\n                    functions as a growth substrate, accelerating the growth-phase transition and reshaping metabolic pathways of\n                    <jats:italic>L. lactis<\/jats:italic>\n                    DSM20175. This baseline information has potential implications for synbiotic formulation and industrial fermentation processes.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2026.1894637","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]],"date-time":"2026-09-25T12:39:13Z","timestamp":1790339953000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Euglena gracilis-derived \u03b2-1,3-glucan as a growth substrate for Lactococcus lactis\u2014a snapshot of accompanying changes in transcriptomic and metabolomic profiles"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Hidehiko","family":"Kato","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University","place":["Bod\u00f8, Norway"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jens Mortansson Jelstrup","family":"Nols\u00f8e","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University","place":["Bod\u00f8, Norway"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hetron Mweemba","family":"Munang'Andu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University","place":["Bod\u00f8, Norway"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Viswanath","family":"Kiron","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University","place":["Bod\u00f8, Norway"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"430","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms12030430","article-title":"Next-generation probiotics as novel therapeutics for improving human health: current trends and future perspectives","volume":"12","author":"Abouelela","year":"2024","journal-title":"Microorganisms"},{"key":"B2","author":"Alexa","year":"2025","journal-title":"topGO: Enrichment Analysis For Gene Ontology"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1203","DOI":"10.1007\/s42770-023-00928-0","article-title":"Immunomodulatory effects of different strains of Lactococcus lactis in DSS-induced colitis","volume":"54","author":"Alves","year":"2023","journal-title":"Braz. J. Microbiol"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"67","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bcdf.2017.07.006","article-title":"Structural, rheological, antioxidant, and functional properties of \u03b2-glucan extracted from edible mushrooms Agaricus bisporus, Pleurotus ostreatus and Coprinus attrimentarius","volume":"11","author":"Ashraf Khan","year":"2017","journal-title":"Bioact. Carbohydr. Diet. Fibre"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"32","DOI":"10.3389\/fbioe.2018.00032","article-title":"Metabolic engineering of the shikimate pathway for production of aromatics and derived compounds\u2014present and future strain construction strategies","volume":"6","author":"Averesch","year":"2018","journal-title":"Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol."},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3393","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms23063393","article-title":"Proteomic analysis reveals enzymes for \u03b2-D-glucan formation and degradation in Levilactobacillus brevis TMW 1.2112","volume":"23","author":"Bockwoldt","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int. J. Mol. Sci."},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1313","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms13061313","article-title":"Fungal \u03b2-glucans enhance lactic acid bacteria growth by shortening their lag phase and increasing growth rate","volume":"13","author":"Buksa","year":"2025","journal-title":"Microorganisms"},{"key":"B8","unstructured":"Bushnell\n              B.\n            \n          \n          BBMap [WWW Document]. SourceForge\n          \n          2025"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"338","DOI":"10.1038\/nrmicro.2017.15","article-title":"Metal homeostasis and resistance in bacteria","volume":"15","author":"Chandrangsu","year":"2017","journal-title":"Nat. Rev. Microbiol."},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"114","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2018.01114","article-title":"CcpA-dependent carbon catabolite repression regulates fructooligosaccharides metabolism in Lactobacillus plantarum","volume":"9","author":"Chen","year":"2018","journal-title":"Front. Microbiol."},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e13305","DOI":"10.1111\/1541-4337.13305","article-title":"Probiotic-fermented edible herbs as functional foods: A review of current status, challenges, and strategies","volume":"23","author":"Cui","year":"2024","journal-title":"Compr. Rev. Food Sci. Food Saf."},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"864565","DOI":"10.3389\/fnut.2022.864565","article-title":"Euglena gracilis promotes Lactobacillus growth and antioxidants accumulation as a potential next-generation prebiotic","volume":"9","author":"Dai","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front. Nutr. Lausanne"},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"157","DOI":"10.1007\/s00203-025-04610-x","article-title":"Quorum sensing in bacteria: insights into communication and inhibition strategies\u2014a review","volume":"208","author":"Das","year":"2026","journal-title":"Arch. Microbiol."},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1178646919852996","article-title":"Microorganisms, tryptophan metabolism, and kynurenine pathway: a complex interconnected loop influencing human health status","author":"Dehhaghi","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int. J. Tryptophan Res."},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"100","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2018.00100","article-title":"Surfaceome and proteosurfaceome in parietal monoderm bacteria: focus on protein cell-surface display","volume":"9","author":"Desvaux","year":"2018","journal-title":"Front. Microbiol."},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4281","DOI":"10.1021\/ac051632c","article-title":"Probabilistic quotient normalization as robust method to account for dilution of complex biological mixtures. Application in 1H NMR metabonomics","volume":"78","author":"Dieterle","year":"2006","journal-title":"Anal. Chem."},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"83","DOI":"10.1016\/S0168-1605(00)00179-3","article-title":"Lactococcus lactis, a bacterial model for stress responses and survival","volume":"55","author":"Duwat","year":"2000","journal-title":"Int. J. Food Microbiol."},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s42003-023-04970-4","article-title":"Fungal \u03b2-glucan-facilitated cross-feeding activities between Bacteroides and Bifidobacterium species","author":"Fernandez-Julia","year":"2023"},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"101741","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fbio.2022.101741","article-title":"Recent developments of lactic acid bacteria and their metabolites on foodborne pathogens and spoilage bacteria: facts and gaps","volume":"47","author":"Fidan","year":"2022","journal-title":"Food Biosci."},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1497712","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2024.1497712","article-title":"Leucine-rich repeat proteins of Leptospira interrogans that interact to host glycosaminoglycans and integrins","volume":"15","author":"Foltran","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front. Microbiol."},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"882","DOI":"10.1128\/JB.02288-14","article-title":"The identification and functional characterization of WxL proteins from Enterococcus faecium reveal surface proteins involved in extracellular matrix interactions","volume":"197","author":"Galloway-Pe\u00f1a","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Bacteriol."},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7591","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-020-64374-w","article-title":"Effective bifidogenic growth factors cyclo-Val-Leu and cyclo-Val-Ile produced by Bacillus subtilis C-3102 in the human colonic microbiota model","volume":"10","author":"Hatanaka","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1203","DOI":"10.1038\/s41467-020-15017-1","article-title":"A riboswitch gives rise to multi-generational phenotypic heterogeneity in an auxotrophic bacterium","volume":"11","author":"Hernandez-Valdes","year":"2020","journal-title":"Nat. Commun."},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3879","DOI":"10.1128\/jb.173.12.3879-3887.1991","article-title":"Lactococcin A, a new bacteriocin from Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris: isolation and characterization of the protein and its gene","volume":"173","author":"Holo","year":"1991","journal-title":"J. Bacteriol."},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1984","DOI":"10.1271\/bbb.70169","article-title":"Characterization and structure analysis of a novel bacteriocin, Lacticin Z, produced by Lactococcus lactis QU 14","volume":"71","author":"Iwatani","year":"2007","journal-title":"Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem."},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"172","DOI":"10.15252\/embr.201744650","article-title":"Bacterial cyclic \u03b2-(1,2)-glucans sequester iron to protect against iron-induced toxicity","volume":"19","author":"Javvadi","year":"2017","journal-title":"Embo Rep."},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1105","DOI":"10.1002\/biot.201200267","article-title":"Metabolic costs of amino acid and protein production in Escherichia coli","volume":"8","author":"Kaleta","year":"2013","journal-title":"Biotechnol. J."},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2865","DOI":"10.1074\/jbc.RA117.000936","article-title":"Identification of Euglena gracilis \u03b2-1,3-glucan phosphorylase and establishment of a new glycoside hydrolase (GH) family GH149","volume":"293","author":"Kuhaudomlarp","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Biol. Chem."},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"547","DOI":"10.1111\/mmi.15117","article-title":"Moving metals: how microbes deliver metal cofactors to metalloproteins","volume":"120","author":"Kunkle","year":"2023","journal-title":"Mol. Microbiol."},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"357","DOI":"10.1038\/nmeth.1923","article-title":"Fast gapped-read alignment with Bowtie 2","volume":"9","author":"Langmead","year":"2012","journal-title":"Nat. Methods"},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e47","DOI":"10.1093\/nar\/gkz114","article-title":"The R package Rsubread is easier, faster, cheaper and better for alignment and quantification of RNA sequencing reads","volume":"47","author":"Liao","year":"2019","journal-title":"Nucleic Acids Res."},{"key":"B32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1096","DOI":"10.3390\/genes11091096","article-title":"Export of Rgg quorum sensing peptides is mediated by the PptAB ABC transporter in Streptococcus Thermophilus strain LMD-9","volume":"11","author":"Lingeswaran","year":"2020","journal-title":"Genes"},{"key":"B33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"550","DOI":"10.1186\/s13059-014-0550-8","article-title":"Moderated estimation of fold change and dispersion for RNA-seq data with DESeq2","volume":"15","author":"Love","year":"2014","journal-title":"Genome Biol."},{"key":"B34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0154725","DOI":"10.1128\/aem.01547-25","article-title":"Host interactions of Lactococcus lactis and Streptococcus thermophilus support their adaptation to the human gut microbiota","volume":"91","author":"Lugli","year":"2025","journal-title":"Appl. Environ. Microbiol."},{"key":"B35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"879280","DOI":"10.3389\/fnut.2022.879280","article-title":"Estimation of iron availability in modified cereal \u03b2-glucan extracts by an in vitro digestion model","volume":"9","author":"Marasca","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front. Nutr."},{"key":"B36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"72","DOI":"10.1007\/s00203-025-04625-4","article-title":"Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in aquaculture: current insights, research gaps, and future directions for sustainability","volume":"208","author":"Mariom Hossain","year":"2025","journal-title":"Arch. Microbiol."},{"key":"B37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/srep11893","article-title":"Functional characterization of the principal sigma factor RpoD of phytoplasmas via an in vitro transcription assay","author":"Miura","year":"2015"},{"key":"B38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1074","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-020-80306-0","article-title":"The alga Euglena gracilis stimulates Faecalibacterium in the gut and contributes to increased defecation","volume":"11","author":"Nakashima","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"B39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"36628","DOI":"10.1021\/acsomega.3c01662","article-title":"Metabolites from Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis: Isolation, structure elucidation, and antimicrobial activity","volume":"8","author":"Navale","year":"2023","journal-title":"ACS Omega"},{"key":"B40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"837","DOI":"10.1128\/MMBR.00076-15","article-title":"Stress physiology of lactic acid bacteria","volume":"80","author":"Papadimitriou","year":"2016","journal-title":"Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev."},{"key":"B41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e1011464","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pgen.1011464","article-title":"Unveiling the novel regulatory roles of RpoD-family sigma factors in Salmonella typhimurium heat shock response through systems biology approaches","volume":"20","author":"Park","year":"2024","journal-title":"Plos Genet."},{"key":"B42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"47","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms10010047","article-title":"Genomic features and construction of streamlined genome chassis of nisin Z producer Lactococcus lactis N8","volume":"10","author":"Qiao","year":"2021","journal-title":"Microorganisms"},{"key":"B43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"205","DOI":"10.1002\/fsn3.383","article-title":"Euglena gracilis paramylon activates human lymphocytes by upregulating pro-inflammatory factors","volume":"5","author":"Rossella","year":"2017","journal-title":"Food Sci. Nutr."},{"key":"B44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"101808","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbc.2022.101808","article-title":"A fusion of the Bacteroides fragilis ferrous iron import proteins reveals a role for FeoA in stabilizing GTP-bound FeoB","volume":"298","author":"Sestok","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Biol. Chem."},{"key":"B45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"604","DOI":"10.1039\/D3NP00037K","article-title":"The shikimate pathway: gateway to metabolic diversity","volume":"41","author":"Shende","year":"2024","journal-title":"Nat. Prod. Rep."},{"key":"B46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"55","DOI":"10.1186\/s12934-017-0669-x","article-title":"A review on Lactococcus lactis: from food to factory","volume":"16","author":"Song","year":"2017","journal-title":"Microb. Cell Factories"},{"key":"B47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"15545","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.0506580102","article-title":"Gene set enrichment analysis: a knowledge-based approach for interpreting genome-wide expression profiles","volume":"102","author":"Subramanian","year":"2005","journal-title":"Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A."},{"key":"B48","author":"Tenenbaum","year":"2026","journal-title":"KEGGREST: Client-side REST access to the kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) [WWW Document]"},{"key":"B49","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"01704","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2017.01704","article-title":"Early transcriptome response of Lactococcus lactis to environmental stresses reveals differentially expressed small regulatory RNAs and tRNAs","volume":"8","author":"van der Meulen","year":"2017","journal-title":"Front. Microbiol."},{"key":"B50","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1202","DOI":"10.1002\/bio.3536","article-title":"Interaction studies of lead(II) ion with cyclic \u03b2-(1 \u2192 3),(1 \u2192 6) glucans extracted from Bradyrhizobium japonicum based on \u2018chelation enhanced fluorescence' (CHEF) effect","volume":"33","author":"Visweswar","year":"2018","journal-title":"Luminescence"},{"key":"B51","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"118386","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodres.2026.118386","article-title":"Positive effects of highland barley \u03b2-glucan intervention on lactose fermentation efficiency and metabolites: unveiling the responses of the gut microbiota through an in vitro fermentation model","volume":"228","author":"Wang","year":"2026","journal-title":"Food Res. Int."},{"key":"B52","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"612285","DOI":"10.3389\/fbioe.2021.612285","article-title":"Metabolism characteristics of lactic acid bacteria and the expanding applications in food industry","volume":"9","author":"Wang","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol."},{"key":"B53","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3292","DOI":"10.1038\/s41596-024-01020-z","article-title":"Using clusterProfiler to characterize multiomics data","volume":"19","author":"Xu","year":"2024","journal-title":"Nat. Protoc."},{"key":"B54","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1923","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms8121923","article-title":"Glutamate decarboxylase from lactic acid bacteria-a key enzyme in GABA synthesis","volume":"8","author":"Yogeswara","year":"2020","journal-title":"Microorganisms"},{"key":"B55","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3383","DOI":"10.1128\/AEM.72.5.3383-3389.2006","article-title":"Lactococcin Q, a novel two-peptide bacteriocin produced by Lactococcus lactis QU 4","volume":"72","author":"Zendo","year":"2006","journal-title":"Appl. Environ. Microbiol."},{"key":"B56","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-017-00767-8","article-title":"Structural insight into the specific DNA template binding to DnaG primase in bacteria","author":"Zhou","year":"2017","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Microbiology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fmicb.2026.1894637\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]],"date-time":"2026-09-25T12:39:15Z","timestamp":1790339955000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fmicb.2026.1894637\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]]},"references-count":56,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fmicb.2026.1894637"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fmicb.2026.1894637","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-302X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-302X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]]},"article-number":"1894637"}}