Complete Genome Sequencing Revealed the Potential Application of a Novel Weizmannia coagulans PL-W Production with Promising Bacteriocins in Food Preservative

is an important potential probiotic with dual characteristics of and . This study describes a novel PL-W with excellent antibacterial activity isolated from Mongolian traditional cheese, in which safety and probiotic potential were evaluated by complete genome sequencing. The crude bacteriocins of PL-W showed antibacterial activity against various foodborne pathogens, including CMCC 54,004, ATCC 14,579, and ATCC 25,923. Moreover, the crude bacteriocins have outstanding stability against pH, temperature, surfactants, and are sensitive to protease. The complete genome sequencing revealed PL-W consists of 3,666,052-base pair (bp) circular chromosomes with a GC content of 46.24% and 3485 protein-coding genes. It contains 84 tRNA, 10 23S rRNA, 10 16S rRNA, and 10 5S rRNA. In addition, no risk-related genes such as acquired antibiotic resistance genes, virulence, and pathogenic factors were identified, demonstrating that PL-W is safe to use. Furthermore, the presence of gene clusters involved in bacteriocin synthesis, adhesion-related genes, and genes contributing to acid and bile tolerance indicate that PL-W is a potential candidate probiotic. Thus, antimicrobial activity and genome characterization of PL-W demonstrate that it has extensive potential applications as a food protective culture.