Scalable CIGS Solar Cells Employing a New Device Design of Nontoxic Buffer Layer and Microgrid Electrode.

The efficiency of copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) solar cells that use transparent conductive oxide (TCO) as the top electrode decreases significantly as the device area increases owing to the poor electrical properties of TCO. Therefore, high-efficiency, large-area CIGS solar cells require the development of a novel top electrode with high transmittance and conductivity. In this study, a microgrid/TCO hybrid electrode is designed to minimize the optical and resistive losses that may occur in the top electrode of a CIGS solar cell. In addition, the buffer layer of the CIGS solar cells is changed from the conventional CdS buffer to a dry-processed wide-band gap ZnMgO (ZMO) buffer, resulting in increased device efficiency by minimizing parasitic absorption in the short-wavelength region. By optimizing the combination of ZMO buffer and the microgrid/TCO hybrid electrode, a device efficiency of up to 20.5% (with antireflection layers) is achieved over a small device area of 5 mm × 5 mm (total area). Moreover, CIGS solar cells with an increased device area of up to 20 mm × 70 mm (total area) exhibit an efficiency of up to 19.7% (with antireflection layers) when a microgrid/TCO hybrid electrode is applied. Thus, this study demonstrates the potential for high-efficiency, large-area CIGS solar cells with novel microgrid electrodes.

Deep learning for computer-aided abnormalities classification in digital mammogram: A data-centric perspective.

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women, and early abnormality detection using mammography can significantly improve breast cancer survival rates. Diverse datasets are required to improve the training and validation of deep learning (DL) systems for autonomous breast cancer diagnosis. However, only a small number of mammography datasets are publicly available. This constraint has created challenges when comparing different DL models using the same dataset. The primary contribution of this study is the comprehensive description of a selection of currently available public mammography datasets. The information available on publicly accessible datasets is summarized and their usability reviewed to enable more effective models to be developed for breast cancer detection and to improve understanding of existing models trained using these datasets. This study aims to bridge the existing knowledge gap by offering researchers and practitioners a valuable resource to develop and assess DL models in breast cancer diagnosis.

Alterations in the gut microbiome and its metabolites are associated with the immune response to mucosal immunization with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum-displaying recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike epitopes in mice.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) expressing foreign antigens have great potential as mucosal vaccines. Our previous study reported that recombinant Lactiplantibacillus plantarum SK156 displaying SARS-CoV-2 spike S1 epitopes elicited humoral and cell-mediated immune responses in mice. Here, we further examined the effect of the LAB-based mucosal vaccine on gut microbiome composition and function, and gut microbiota-derived metabolites. Forty-nine (49) female BALB/c mice were orally administered L. plantarum SK156-displaying SARS-CoV-2 spike S1 epitopes thrice (at 14-day intervals). Mucosal immunization considerably altered the gut microbiome of mice by enriching the abundance of beneficial gut bacteria, such as Muribaculaceae, Mucispirillum, Ruminococcaceae, Alistipes, Roseburia, and Clostridia vadinBB60. Moreover, the predicted function of the gut microbiome showed increased metabolic pathways for amino acids, energy, carbohydrates, cofactors, and vitamins. The fecal concentration of short-chain fatty acids, especially butyrate, was also altered by mucosal immunization. Notably, alterations in gut microbiome composition, function, and butyrate levels were positively associated with the immune response to the vaccine. Our results suggest that the gut microbiome and its metabolites may have influenced the immunogenicity of the LAB-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

Impact of multi-source data augmentation on performance of convolutional neural networks for abnormality classification in mammography.

Introduction: To date, most mammography-related AI models have been trained using either film or digital mammogram datasets with little overlap. We investigated whether or not combining film and digital mammography during training will help or hinder modern models designed for use on digital mammograms. Methods: To this end, a total of six binary classifiers were trained for comparison. The first three classifiers were trained using images only from Emory Breast Imaging Dataset (EMBED) using ResNet50, ResNet101, and ResNet152 architectures. The next three classifiers were trained using images from EMBED, Curated Breast Imaging Subset of Digital Database for Screening Mammography (CBIS-DDSM), and Digital Database for Screening Mammography (DDSM) datasets. All six models were tested only on digital mammograms from EMBED. Results: The results showed that performance degradation to the customized ResNet models was statistically significant overall when EMBED dataset was augmented with CBIS-DDSM/DDSM. While the performance degradation was observed in all racial subgroups, some races are subject to more severe performance drop as compared to other races. Discussion: The degradation may potentially be due to ( 1) a mismatch in features between film-based and digital mammograms ( 2) a mismatch in pathologic and radiological information. In conclusion, use of both film and digital mammography during training may hinder modern models designed for breast cancer screening. Caution is required when combining film-based and digital mammograms or when utilizing pathologic and radiological information simultaneously.

Characterization of Novel Amylase-Sensitive, Anti-Listerial Class IId Bacteriocin, Agilicin C7 Produced by Ligilactobacillus agilis C7.

Among various biological agents, bacteriocins are important candidates to control Listeria monocytogenes which is a foodborne pathogen. In this study, a novel bacteriocin, named agilicin C7, was isolated from Ligilactobacillus agilis C7 showing inhibitory activity against L. monocytogenes. Agilicin C7 biosynthesis gene was characterized by bioinformatics analyses and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli for further study. The anti-listeria activity of recombinant agilicin C7 (r-agilicin C7) was lost by proteases and α-amylase, suggesting that agilicin C7 is a glycoprotein. r-Agilicin C7 has wide pH and thermal stability and is also stable in various organic solvents. It destroyed L. monocytogenes by damaging the integrity of the cell envelope. These properties of r-agilicin C7 indicate that agilicin C7 is a novel amylase-sensitive anti-listerial Class IId bacteriocin. Physicochemical stability and inhibitory activity against L. monocytogenes of r-agilicin C7 suggest that it can be applied to control L. monocytogenes in the food industry, including dairy and meat products.

Multispecies probiotic supplementation in diet with reduced crude protein levels altered the composition and function of gut microbiome and restored microbiome-derived metabolites in growing pigs.

Both crude protein (CP) and probiotics can modulate the gut microbiome of the host, thus conferring beneficial effects. However, the benefits of low CP diet supplemented with multispecies probiotics on gut microbiome and its metabolites have not been investigated in pigs. Thus, we investigated the combinatory effects of low CP diet supplemented with multispecies probiotics on gut microbiome composition, function, and microbial metabolites in growing pigs. In total, 140 6 week-old piglets (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc) were used in this study. The pigs were divided into four groups with a 2 × 2 factorial design based on their diets: normal-level protein diet (16% CP; NP), low-level protein diet (14% CP; LP), NP with multispecies probiotics (NP-P), and LP with multispecies probiotics (LP-P). After the feeding trial, the fecal samples of the pigs were analyzed. The fecal scores were improved by the probiotic supplementation, especially in LP-P group. We also observed a probiotic-mediated alteration in the gut microbiome of pigs. In addition, LP-P group showed higher species richness and diversity compared with other groups. The addition of multispecies probiotics in low CP diet also enhanced gut microbiota metabolites production, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and polyamines. Correlation analysis revealed that Oscillospiraceae UCG-002, Eubacterium coprostanoligenes, Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group, and Muribaculaceae were positively associated with SCFAs; and Prevotella, Eubacterium ruminantium, Catenibacterium, Alloprevotella, Prevotellaceae NK3B31 group, Roseburia, Butyrivibrio, and Dialister were positively correlated with polyamines. Supplementation with multispecies probiotics modulated the function of the gut microbiome by upregulating the pathways for protein digestion and utilization, potentially contributing to enriched metabolite production in the gut. The results of this study demonstrate that supplementation with multispecies probiotics may complement the beneficial effects of low CP levels in pig feed. These findings may help formulate sustainable feeding strategies for swine production.

Mucosal immunization with lactiplantibacillus plantarum-displaying recombinant SARS-CoV-2 epitopes on the surface induces humoral and mucosal immune responses in mice.

BACKGROUND: The use of probiotic lactic acid bacteria as a mucosal vaccine vector is considered a promising alternative compared to the use of other microorganisms because of its "Generally Regarded as Safe" status, its potential adjuvant properties, and its tolerogenicity to the host. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19), is highly transmissible and pathogenic. This study aimed to determine the potential of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum expressing SARS-CoV-2 epitopes as a mucosal vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. RESULTS: In this study, the possible antigenic determinants of the spike (S1-1, S1-2, S1-3, and S1-4), membrane (ME1 and ME2), and envelope (E) proteins of SARS-CoV-2 were predicted, and recombinant L. plantarum strains surface-displaying these epitopes were constructed. Subsequently, the immune responses induced by these recombinant strains were compared in vitro and in vivo. Most surface-displayed epitopes induced pro-inflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α and interleukin (IL)-6] and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10) in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW 264.7, with the highest anti-inflammatory to pro-inflammatory cytokine ratio in the S1-1 and S1-2 groups, followed by that in the S1-3 group. When orally administered of recombinant L. plantarum expressing SARS-CoV-2 epitopes in mice, all epitopes most increased the expression of IL-4, along with induced levels of TNF-α, interferon-gamma, and IL-10, specifically in spike protein groups. Thus, the surface expression of epitopes from the spike S1 protein in L. plantarum showed potential immunoregulatory effects, suggesting its ability to potentially circumvent hyperinflammatory states relevant to monocyte/macrophage cell activation. At 35 days post immunization (dpi), serum IgG levels showed a marked increase in the S1-1, S1-2, and S1-3 groups. Fecal IgA levels increased significantly from 21 dpi in all the antigen groups, but the boosting effect after 35 dpi was explicitly observed in the S1-1, S1-2, and S1-3 groups. Thus, the oral administration of SARS-CoV-2 antigens into mice induced significant humoral and mucosal immune responses. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that L. plantarum is a potential vector that can effectively deliver SARS-CoV-2 epitopes to intestinal mucosal sites and could serve as a novel approach for SARS-CoV-2 mucosal vaccine development.

Microwave-facilitated crystal growth of defect-passivated triple-cation metal halide perovskites toward efficient solar cells.

Structural defects at the surface and within the bulk of perovskite films hinder efficient energy conversion in solar cells due to the loss of charge carriers through non-radiative recombination. Post-passivation approaches have been proposed in an attempt to eliminate surface defects, with bulk defects being rarely studied. Moreover, it is of interest to investigate the difference in the perovskite crystal growth with and without simultaneous defect passivation. Here, we study a new crystal growth strategy to realize high-quality triple-cation perovskite crystals via utilizing microwave irradiation combined with a continuous supply of defect passivators from a reservoir solution of trioctyl-n-phosphine oxide (TOPO). The proposed method facilitates the growth of perovskite crystals with TOPO ligand coordination in the whole film region. Consequently, the processed perovskite film demonstrates distinctive features of significantly suppressed non-radiative recombination, substantial defect reduction and morphological changes compared to the perovskites processed by conventional thermal annealing. The power conversion efficiency is enhanced owing to the improved open-circuit voltage (Voc) and short-circuit current (Jsc). The results of this study are expected to assist in the development of diverse approaches for the control of perovskite crystal growth with in situ defect passivation toward high efficiency in solar cells.

Bioinformatics and its role in the study of the evolution and probiotic potential of lactic acid bacteria.

Due to their numerous well-established applications in the food industry, there have been many studies regarding the adaptation and evolution of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in a wide variety of hosts and environments. Progress in sequencing technology and continual decreases in its costs have led to the availability of LAB genome sequence data. Bioinformatics has been central to the extraction of valuable information from these raw genome sequence data. This paper presents the roles of bioinformatics tools and databases in understanding the adaptation and evolution of LAB, as well as the bioinformatics methods used in the initial screening of LAB for probiotic potential. Moreover, the advantages, challenges, and limitations of employing bioinformatics for these purposes are discussed.

Bulk Perovskite Crystal Properties Determined by Heterogeneous Nucleation and Growth.

In metal halide perovskites, charge transport in the bulk of the films is influenced by trapping and release and nonradiative recombination at ionic and crystal defects. Thus, mitigating the formation of defects during the synthesis process of perovskites from precursors is required for better device performance. An in-depth understanding of the nucleation and growth mechanisms of perovskite layers is crucial for the successful solution processing of organic-inorganic perovskite thin films for optoelectronic applications. In particular, heterogeneous nucleation, which occurs at the interface, must be understood in detail, as it has an effect on the bulk properties of perovskites. This review presents a detailed discussion on the controlled nucleation and growth kinetics of interfacial perovskite crystal growth. Heterogeneous nucleation kinetics can be controlled by modifying the perovskite solution and the interfacial properties of perovskites adjacent to the underlaying layer and to the air interface. As factors influencing the nucleation kinetics, the effects of surface energy, interfacial engineering, polymer additives, solution concentration, antisolvents, and temperature are discussed. The importance of the nucleation and crystal growth of single-crystal, nanocrystal, and quasi-two-dimensional perovskites is also discussed with respect to the crystallographic orientation.

Engineered molecular stacking crystallinity of bar-coated TIPS-pentacene/polystyrene films for organic thin-film transistors.

Solution-based blended polymer materials are promising for electronic applications in many fields. However, determining a controllable method to achieve electronically active organic films through the practical liquid deposition process is very challenging. In this study, we suggest employing hybrid binary organic mixture inks (an insulating polymer polystyrene (PS)) and an organic semiconductor (6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethnyl)pentacene (TIPS-pentacene)) to manage and enhance the characteristics of TIPS-pentacene organic layers using a bar-coating method. Binary mixtures with PS molecules can provide various microstructures, crystal orientations, and molecular stacking of the active TIPS-pentacene organic layers under the proper fabrication parameters during bar-coating. Varying the molecular weight of the PS mixture, weight percentage of the TIPS-pentacene, and deposition parameters, such as the bar-coating speed, direction, and contact angles between the crystal orientation of TIPS-pentacene and Au electrodes, is crucial to guarantee high-electronic properties. The electrodes with TIPS-pentacene/PS (MW = 4000) binary films at a 40 wt% TIPS-pentacene ratio demonstrate the outstanding room-temperature field-effect mobility of 1.215 cm2 V-1 s-1, four times higher than that of pure TIPS-pentacene transistors (100 wt%). The performance improvement of the TIPS-pentacene layers is highly attributed to the ideal spherulite structure and thick molecular stacking properties, which can guarantee favorable charge transport paths through organic films. These findings demonstrate a promising strategy for blending organic applications to improve the performance of organic electronic devices using practical fabrication processes.

Atom-Scale Chemistry in Chalcopyrite-Based Photovoltaic Materials Visualized by Atom Probe Tomography.

Chalcopyrite-based materials for photovoltaic devices tend to exhibit complex structural imperfections originating from their polycrystalline nature; nevertheless, properly controlled devices are surprisingly irrelevant to them in terms of resulting device performances. The present work uses atom probe tomography to characterize co-evaporated high-quality Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) films on flexible polyimide substrates either with or without doping with Na or doping with Na followed by K via a post-deposition treatment. The intent is to elucidate the unique characteristics of the grain boundaries (GBs) in CIGS, in particular the correlations/anti-correlations between matrix elements and the alkali dopants. Various compositional fluctuations are identified at GBs irrespective of the presence of alkali elements. However, [Cu-poor and Se/In,Ga-rich] GBs are significantly more common than [Cu-rich and Se/In,Ga-poor] ones. In addition, the anti-correlations between Cu and the other matrix elements are found to show not only regular trends among themselves but also the association with the degree of alkali segregation at GBs. The Na and K concentrations exhibited a correlation at the GBs but not in the intragrain regions. Density functional theory calculations are used to explain the compositional fluctuations and alkali segregation at the GBs. Our experimental and theoretical findings not only reveal the benign or beneficial characteristics of the GBs of CIGS but also provide a fundamental understanding of the GB chemistry in CIGS-based materials.

Whole genome sequence analysis of Ligilactobacillus agilis C7 isolated from pig feces revealed three bacteriocin gene clusters.

We here report the whole genome sequence of Ligilactobacillus agilis C7 with anti-listerial activity, which was isolated from pig feces. The genome size of L. agilis C7 (~ 3.0 Mb) is relatively larger compared with other L. agilis strains. L. agilis C7 carries three bacteriocin gene clusters encoding garvicin Q, salivaricin A, and Blp family class II bacteriocin. Garvicin Q and salivaricin A are reported to be active against Listeria monocytogenes and Micrococcus luteus, respectively, as well as against other Gram-positive bacteria. Meanwhile, the bacteriocin encoded in the blp cassette was shown to be active against pneumococci, mediating intraspecies competition. This report highlights the potential of L. agilis C7 for the production of bacteriocins inhibiting pathogenic bacteria.

Two GPSes in a Ball: Deciphering the Endosomal Tug-of-War Using Plasmonic Dark-Field STORM.

Live video recording of intracellular material transport is a promising means of deciphering the fascinating underlying mechanisms driving life at the molecular level. Such technology holds the key to realizing real-time observation at appropriate resolutions in three-dimensional (3D) space within living cells. Here, we report an optical microscopic method for probing endosomal dynamics with proper spatiotemporal resolution within 3D space in live cells: plasmonic dark-field STORM (pdf-STORM). We first confirmed that pdf-STORM has a spatial resolution comparable to that of scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, by observing two optical probes within a single organelle, we were able to track rotational movements and demonstrate the feasibility of using pdf-STORM to observe the angular displacements of an endosome during a "tug-of-war" over an extended period. Finally, we show various biophysical parameters of the hitherto unelucidated dynamics of endosomes-angular displacement is discontinuous and y-axis movement predominates and follows a long-tail distribution.

Multispecies probiotics alter fecal short-chain fatty acids and lactate levels in weaned pigs by modulating gut microbiota.

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are metabolic products produced during the microbial fermentation of non-digestible fibers and play an important role in metabolic homeostasis and overall gut health. In this study, we investigated the effects of supplementation with multispecies probiotics (MSPs) containing Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Limosilactobacillus reuteri, and Levilactobacillus brevis on the gut microbiota, and fecal SCFAs and lactate levels of weaned pigs. A total of 38 pigs weaned at 4 weeks of age were fed either a basal diet or a diet supplemented with MSPs for 6 weeks. MSP administration significantly increased the fecal concentrations of lactate (2.3-fold; p < 0.01), acetate (1.8-fold; p < 0.05), and formate (1.4-fold; p < 0.05). Moreover, MSP supplementation altered the gut microbiota of the pigs by significantly increasing the population of potentially beneficial bacteria such as Olsenella, Catonella, Catenibacterium, Acidaminococcus, and Ruminococcaceae. MSP supplementation also decreased the abundance of pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia and Chlamydia. The modulation of the gut microbiota was observed to be strongly correlated with the changes in fecal SCFAs and lactate levels. Furthermore, we found changes in the functional pathways present within the gut, which supports our findings that MSP modulates the gut microbiota and SCFAs levels in pigs. The results support the potential use of MSPs to improve the gut health of animals by modulating SCFAs production.

Cudrania tricuspidata Combined with Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus Modulate Gut Microbiota and Alleviate Obesity-Associated Metabolic Parameters in Obese Mice.

The aim of the presented study was to investigate the synbiotic effects of L. rhamnosus 4B15 and C. tricuspidata extract administration on the gut microbiota and obesity-associated metabolic parameters in diet-induced obese mice. Thirty-one 6-week-old male C57BL/N6 mice were divided into five diet groups: normal diet (ND, n = 7) group; high-fat diet (HFD, n = 6) group; probiotic (PRO, n = 5) group; prebiotic (PRE, n = 7) group; and synbiotic (SYN, n = 6) group. After 10 weeks, the percent of fat mass, serum triglyceride, and ALT levels were significantly reduced in SYN-fed obese mice, compared with other treatments. SYN treatment also modulated the abundance of Desulfovibrio, Dorea, Adlercreutzia, Allobaculum, Coprococcus, unclassified Clostridiaceae, Lactobacillus, Helicobacter, Flexispira, Odoribacter, Ruminococcus, unclassified Erysipelotrichaceae, and unclassified Desulfovibrionaceae. These taxa showed a strong correlation with obesity-associated indices. Lastly, the SYN-supplemented diet upregulated metabolic pathways known to improve metabolic health. Further investigations are needed to understand the mechanisms driving the synbiotic effect of C. tricuspidata and L. rhamnosus 4B15.

Interfacial Defects Change the Correlation between Photoluminescence, Ideality Factor, and Open-Circuit Voltage in Perovskite Solar Cells.

The ideality factor (nid ) and photoluminescence (PL) analyses assess charge recombination characteristics in perovskite solar cells (PeSCs). However, their correlations with open-circuit voltage (Voc ) are often found to be complicated depending on the recombination types in the devices. Herein, the correlation of nid , PL characteristics and Voc is elucidated depending on the interfacial crystal quality in triple-cation mixed-halide perovskite, Cs0.05 (MA0.17 FA0.83 )0.95 Pb(I0.83 Br0.17 )3 , deposited on different hole transport layers (HTLs). In the devices with low quality interfacial crystals, Voc increases together with nid , which originates from the light intensity-dependence of majority carrier at the interface. Meanwhile, a negative correlation between Voc and nid is observed for devices with high quality interfacial crystals. The authors discuss the cases that PL enhancement by the improvement of overall crystal quality can fail to correlate with a Voc increase if interfacial crystal quality becomes worse. The study highlights that interfacial crystal quality evaluation can help to understand charge recombination via nid and PL measurements, and more importantly provide information of which defect engineering between at the interface and in the bulk would be more effective for device optimization.

Wearable Robotic Glove Design Using Surface-Mounted Actuators.

We propose a novel wearable robotic glove or exo-glove design scalable to the variation of the hand kinematics. While most of the traditional robot hand is driven by rotating the joint directly with a rigid body, our exo-glove deforms a robotic finger's skin and, thus, the hand skeleton joints. Multiple tendons woven on the exo-glove's surface can make multi-DOF finger joint motions. We allocated tendons to mimic a hand's intrinsic and extrinsic muscles. Thus, a robotic hand actuated with the exo-glove can perform natural finger motions, including abduction/adduction and flexion/extension of finger joints. Moreover, additional tendons for the thumb enable power grips and the robotic hand's human-like motion. The proposed design approach places all the actuators on the surface without directly actuating any of the hand skeleton's joint. Therefore, a random hand skeleton can work as a robotic hand by putting the wearable robotic glove on it. Thus, the proposed model provides a high degree of freedom on choosing hand skeletons. We expect the aforementioned biomimetic features of our proposed method will benefit not only traditional robotic hands design but also the design of prosthetic hands and robot power-assisted hand glove.

Improved Interfacial Crystallization by Synergic Effects of Precursor Solution Stoichiometry and Conjugated Polyelectrolyte Interlayer for High Open-Circuit Voltage of Perovskite Photovoltaic Diodes.

The open-circuit voltage (Voc) of perovskite photovoltaic diodes depends largely on the selection of charge transport layers (CTLs) and surface passivation, which makes it important to understand the physical processes occurring at the interface between the perovskite and a CTL. We provide a direct correlation between Voc and the interfacial characteristics of perovskites tuned through stoichiometry engineering of precursor solutions and surface modification of the underlying poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) layer. Poor quality interfacial perovskite crystals were observed on top of the PEDOT:PSS layer, resulting in strong interfacial recombination and a low Voc. In contrast, the growth of the interfacial perovskite crystals was significantly improved by the synergic effects of varying the precursor solution composition and covering the surface with a pH-neutral conjugated polyelectrolyte, poly[2,6-(4,4-bis(potassium butanylsulfonate)-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b;3,4-b']dithiophene)-alt-4,7-(2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)] (CPE-K), which possesses potassium ions as counter ions. The influence of the energy-level alignment at the interface on Voc was also discussed. Our findings highlight that improved perovskite crystallization at the interface can facilitate bulk growth of perovskite grains in the vertical direction and effectively suppress nonradiative surface charge recombination, thus enhancing the short-circuit current and Voc.

Complete genome sequence of Lactobacillus plantarum SK156, a candidate vehicle for mucosal vaccine delivery.

Lactobacillus plantarum SK156 was isolated from traditional Korean food. The genome of SK156 strain consists of a circular chromosome (3,231,383 bp) with guanine (G) + cytosine (C) content of 44.56%. Among the predicted 2,991 protein-coding genes, the genome included genes encoding for α-amylase, which hydrolyzes α-bonds of polysaccharides. Genomic sequencing of L. plantarum SK156 will give information on the mechanism involved in the enzymatic degradation of polysaccharides and its application for improving feed efficiency.