Complete Genome Sequence of the Probiotic Strain

Lactobacillus casei BD-II, a patented probiotic strain (U.S. patent 7,270,994 B2), was isolated from homemade koumiss in China and has been implemented in the industrial production as starter cultures. Here we report the complete genome sequence of BD-II, which shows high similarity with the well-studied probiotic BL23. Lactobacillus casei is a remarkably adaptable lactic acid bac-terium (LAB) that has been isolated from a variety of envi-ronmental niches, including dairy and plant materials as well as the gastrointestinal tracts of humans and animals (1). L. casei BD-II is a novel probiotic strain isolated from homemade koumiss in China which exhibits the ability to reduce the blood lipid level and regulate the cardiovascular system (2). Whole-genome sequencing of BD-II was performed with a combined strategy of Roche 454 and Solexa paired-end se-quencing technology. A genomic library containing a 8-kb in-sert was constructed, and 240,974 paired-end reads and 73,074 single-end reads were generated using the GS FLX system