Bacillus probiotics: spore germination in the gastrointestinal tract

Spores of Bacillus species are being used commercially as probiotics and competitive exclusion agents. Unlike the more commonly used Lactobacillus-type probiotics, spores are dormant life forms. To address how spore probiotics might function we have investigated whether spores can germinate in the gastrointestinal tract by using a murine model. Using a genetically engineered chimeric gene, ftsH-lacZ, which is strongly expressed only in vegetative cells, we have developed a sensitive competitive reverse transcription-PCR assay which has enabled detection of as few as 10(2) vegetative bacteria in the mouse gut. Using this method we have administered doses of ftsH-lacZ spores to groups of mice and shown that spores can germinate in significant numbers in the jejunum and ileum. The levels of detection we obtained suggest that spores may colonize the small intestine, albeit briefly.