Search

Probiotics are commonly used as nutritional supplements and antibiotic substitutes and thus are of great commercial interest. The present study was performed to demonstrate the probiotic potential of Exiguobacterium acetylicumG1–33 isolated from the gut of the hybrid grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus♀ × E. lanceolatus♂) by integrating genomics and phenotypic traits. In silicogenome analysis confirmed its identity as E. acetylicum. Functional annotation of the genome revealed the existence of molecular markers responsible for the functional properties of potential probiotics, such as resistance to the host’s harsh gastrointestinal environment, adhesion and colonization of the intestinal mucosa, competition and inhibition of pathogens, responses to oxidative stress, and biosynthesis of essential amino acids and vitamins. The genomic analysis was validated by in vitroexperiments. Effective toxin-encoding genes were not identified in the G1–33 genome, and the safety of the strain was confirmed by in vitroexperiments. These results indicate that E. acetylicumG1–33 exhibits excellent probiotic properties and can become a probiotic with high application value in aquaculture.