Comparative genome analysis of the immunomodulatory ability of <i>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</i> and <i>Lactiplantibacillus pentosus</i> from Japanese pickles

Lactic acid bacteria are pivotal in food preservation and exhibit immunomodulatory effects on interleukin-10 (IL-10) and interleukin-12 (IL-12) production. <i>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</i> and <i>Lactiplantibacillus pentosus</i> from fermented food are known for such effect, yet comprehensive comparative genome analysis is needed to elucidate the linked genes of the two species. The significance of our research is in observing the immunostimulatory clade with strain-specific cytokine induction and identifying key immunostimulation-related genes encoding enzymes that are crucial for synthesizing a potentially effective microbe-associated-molecular-pattern using the potential-gene index across two species. The further <i>in vivo</i> validation reinforced the interleukin-10-stimulating capacity of the identified pattern, and the detected sub-potential genes in <i>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</i> key-gene possessing strains implied the utility of potential-gene index in detecting potential health-benefit-associated genes in other lactic acid bacteria species.