The use of the replication region of plasmid pRS7 from Oenococcus oeni as a putative tool to generate cloning vectors for lactic acid bacteria

Improving Oenococcus oeni to overcome challenges of wine malolactic fermentation

Oenococcus oeni is crucial for winemaking, bringing stabilization, deacidification, and sensory impacts through malolactic fermentation (MLF) to most wine styles. The poor nutritional make-up of wine together with typically low processing temperatures and pH and high ethanol content and sulfur dioxide (SO2) hinder O. oeni growth and activity. Production delays and interventions with starter cultures and nutritional supplements have significant cost and quality implications; thus, optimization of O. oeni has long been a priority. A range of optimization strategies, some guided by detailed characterization of O. oeni, have been exploited. Varying degrees of success have been seen with classical strain selection, mutagenesis, gene recombination, genome shuffling, and, most recently, directed evolution (DE). The merits, limitations, and future prospects of each are discussed.

Plasmids from Food Lactic Acid Bacteria: Diversity, Similarity, and New Developments

Plasmids are widely distributed in different sources of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as self-replicating extrachromosomal genetic materials, and have received considerable attention due to their close relationship with many important functions as well as some industrially relevant characteristics of the LAB species. They are interesting with regard to the development of food-grade cloning vectors. This review summarizes new developments in the area of lactic acid bacteria plasmids and aims to provide up to date information that can be used in related future research.