Section B. Cheese and butter starters

Pediococci in Cheddar cheese

Fifty-nine strains of pediococci were isolated as representing the predominant non-starter flora in a series of Cheddar cheeses made over a period of 5 months. All strains had the same physiological characteristics and were identified asPediococcus cerevisiae. A common antigen was found in 54 of the strains, whereas in the other 5 the antigenic component appeared to be related but not the same. Both antigens were located in the cell wall.

All the strains required folinic acid for growth and it was shown with one strain that the small amount of growth which occurred in sterile milk was greatly increased by the presence of the folinic acid producing starterStreptococcus cremoris924.

Adsorption, latent period and burst size of phages of some strains of lactic streptococci

The host–phage reactions of 20 strains of lactic streptococci currently used in cheese manufacture, and the phages active on them, were studied under a variety of conditions. The phages of the lactic streptococci conformed in their behaviour with the general behaviour of phages for other bacterial species. The burst size of phages which attack one strain of starter culture varied widely and also varied when one phage attacked different host strains. The burst size of a phage was also influenced by the host on which it was previously propagated. An increase of temperature from 30 to 37 °C the latent period, but it increased, decreased, or had no effect on the burst size. This increase in temperature also usually decreased the percentage adsorption of phage. Rennet at a concentration of 0·02 % significantly reduced the percentage adsorption of phage in sterile reconstituted milk and also in tryptone yeast-extract broth.

Differentiation of lactococci by rRNA gene restriction analysis

Strains of the subspecies of Lactococcus lactis could be differentiated by rRNA gene restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP). 16S rRNA-specific oligonucleotide as well as polynucleotide DNA probes were used for the detection of restriction fragments. In addition, a site-specific probe was designed for the intergenic spacer region of 23S and 5S rRNA genes. For all lactococcal strains the putative presence of six rRNA operons was confirmed. A non-radioactive hybridization assay was used based on hybrid detection by chemiluminescence. Specific patterns were found for any of the strains investigated. Subspecies-specific restriction fragments could be identified in addition to the strain-specific patterns.

Specific and intraspecific molecular typing of lactococci based on polymorphism of DNA encoding rRNA

The rRNA gene restriction patterns or species of the genus Lactococcus were determined. Chromosomal DNA was digested with endonucleases and probed with radiolabelled DNA complementary to rRNA synthesized by random oligonucleotide priming using reverse transcriptase. Highly discriminatory restriction patterns were obtained which served to distinguish the five currently recognized lactococcal species. In addition the observed variations in the patterns at intra-specific level indicate that rRNA gene restriction fingerprinting may be of value in distinguishing the individual strains for epidemiological studies, and monitoring and checking authenticity of starter strains.

Acetaldehyde: an intermediate in the formation of ethanol from glucose by lactic acid bacteria

Group N streptococci formed acetaldehyde and ethanol from glucose. As the enzymes aldehyde dehydrogenase, phosphotransacetylase and acetate kinase were present this would enable these organisms to reduce acetyl-CoA to acetaldehyde and convert acetyl-CoA to acetyl phosphate and acetate. A pentose phosphate pathway which converted ribose-5-phosphate to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate was also present. Acetaldehyde could not be formed via the hexose monophosphate shunt or by direct decarboxylation of pyruvate, as the enzymes phosphoketolase and alpha-carboxylase were absent. Phosphoketolase activity was induced in Streptococcus lactis subsp. diacetylactis after growth on D-xylose. Group N streptococci also contained an NAD-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase which reduced acetaldehyde to ethanol while both NAD- and NADP-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase activities were found in Leuconostoc cremoris.

Localization of proteinase(s) near the cell surface of Streptococcus lactis

Two criteria suggest that most of the proteinase of Streptococcus lactis is localized in the cell wall. (i) Intact cells possess proteinase activity when incubated with a high-molecular-weight substrate. (ii) Most of the cell-bound proteinase activity is released during spheroplast formation under conditions which result in the release of only 1% of the intracellular enzymes aldolase and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. The solubilized cell wall, plasma membrane, and cytoplasm fractions contained 84, 0, and 16%, respectively, of the total proteinase activity with casein as substrate. The physiological role of a surface-bound proteinase in this organism is discussed.

Hydrolysis of α s, 1 -Casein B by Streptococcus lactis Membrane Proteinase

The membrane-associated proteinase of Streptococcus lactis strain 3 hydrolyzed α s, 1 -casein B into 11 peptide fragments. Eight of the 11 peptides were purified and partially characterized. Each peptide contained several, but not all six, essential amino acids required for growth. The culture was able to utilize one peptide as the sole source for the essential amino acid leucine. Leucine, serine, valine, and glycine were found to be NH 2 -terminal residues. Two of the peptides were phosphopeptides. The data support the functional role of the membrane-associated proteinase as being involved in the initial breakdown of proteins to peptides.