https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msystems.01575-24

Lactic acid bacteria exhibit immunomodulatory effects on interleukin-10 (IL-10) and interleukin-12 (IL-12) production.

Researchers at the Tokyo Institute of Technology have now shown the immunomodulatory capability at the genome level of L. plantarumand L. pentosus strains isolated from Japanese pickles. The bacteria contain genes which encode the enzyme TagF2, which is crucial for synthesizing poly-glycerol-3-phosphate type wall teichoic acid (poly-GroP WTA), indicating that TagF2 plays a potential role as an effective microbe-associated-molecular-pattern. In vivo analyses confirmed the IL-10-inducing ability of one strain, reinforcing the IL-10-stimulating capacity of its poly-GroP WTA. Subpotential genes in L. plantarum TagF2-possessing strains were linked to host‒cell interactions, suggesting that such strains play potential probiotic roles.