A way has been found to make food bacteria produce more vitamin K2

Lactococcus lactis, a lactic acid bacterium widely used in the food industry, produces vitamin K, which is important for heart and bone health.

It turned out that L. lactis maintains a balance: it produces enough substance for its own growth, but does not accumulate it in excess to avoid toxicity. Even if you increase the number of enzymes involved in synthesis, the product yield does not increase — a shortage of raw materials prevents it, just as it is impossible to bake more cookies without additional flour.

To understand this process, the scientists used a biosensor, genetic modification, and mathematical modeling. A biosensor created with the help of another bacterium turned out to be thousands of times more sensitive than standard methods. Experience has shown that not only the number of enzymes, but also the order of their genes in DNA affects the level of vitamin production.

The authors believe that by simultaneously managing the reserves of starting materials, enzyme activity and gene architecture, it is possible to overcome the natural limit of production. All this will help to create new strains of L. lactis capable of producing more vitamin K on an industrial scale, both in fermentation plants and as part of probiotics.