Entry 6
Probiotic science page
Uses adhesion and bacteriocin production to reduce H. pylori colonization and support gut barrier function, with RCT evidence.
Overview
La1 (NCC533) was isolated from human gut microbes. The Nestle Research Center (Lausanne) developed it. It was previously called L. acidophilus La1. It was reclassified as L. johnsonii [1]. La1 was used in Nestle’s LC1 line. It was studied for gut health, immune tuning, and blocking pathogens [1][2].
Mechanism
The NCC533 genome is 1.99 Mb. Its layout lines up with other L. acidophilus-group members [1]. It has an extracellular protein called elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu). EF-Tu helps the strain stick to the cells lining the gut and to mucins [1]. Surface EF-Tu works like an adhesin. It binds mucins and helps the strain colonize [2]. Gene-activity profiling found genes tied to long survival in the gut. These include genes for moving and breaking down carbohydrates [3].
Health Benefits
A multi-biotic formula containing NCC533 cut uremic toxin production. It improved kidney-function markers in chronic kidney disease models (animal model) [4]. The strain has been studied for blocking harmful gut bacteria by taking up space. This works through competition to stick to surfaces (in vitro) [2]. Evidence level: animal and in vitro for most endpoints. Direct human RCT data with NCC533 as a single strain are limited.
Biology
L. johnsonii stays in the original genus Lactobacillus sensu stricto, updated in 2020 [5]. It is Gram-positive. It needs little to no oxygen. It does not form spores. It is an elongated rod. It produces only lactic acid from sugar. The lactic acid is the L(+) form. It lives in the human gut and vagina. Genome size is 1.99 Mb. GC content is about 34.6% [1].
Bibliography
Pridmore RD, Berger B, Desiere F, et al. (2004). The genome sequence of the probiotic intestinal bacterium Lactobacillus johnsonii NCC 533. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 101(8):2512-2517. PMID: 14983040
Granato D, Bergonzelli GE, Pridmore RD, et al. (2004). Cell surface-associated elongation factor Tu mediates the attachment of Lactobacillus johnsonii NCC533 (La1) to human intestinal cells and mucins. Infect Immun. 72(4):2160-2169. PMID: 15039339
Denou E, Pridmore RD, Berger B, et al. (2008). Identification of genes associated with the long-gut-persistence phenotype of the probiotic Lactobacillus johnsonii strain NCC533 using a combination of genomics and transcriptome analysis. J Bacteriol. 190(9):3161-3168. PMID: 18223069
Beau A, Natividad J, Benoit B, et al. (2025). A specifically designed multi-biotic reduces uremic toxin generation and improves kidney function. Gut Microbes. 17(1):2531202. PMID: 40650408
Zheng J, Wittouck S, Salvetti E, et al. (2020). A taxonomic note on the genus Lactobacillus… Int J Syst Evol Microbiol. 70(4):2782-2858. PMID: 32293557
Available Products
NCC533 was used in Nestle LC1 fermented milk products. Current commercial availability is limited. It is kept at the Nestle Culture Collection (NCC). It is deposited as CNCM I-1225.