Lactobacilli isolated from sugary kefir grains capable of polysaccharide production and minicell formation |
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Authors: | M Pidoux Valerie M Marshall P Zanoni B Brooker |
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Institution: | Department of Microbiology, AFRC Institute of Food Research, Reading Laboratory, Shinfield, Reading RG2 9AT, UK |
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Abstract: | Homo- and heterofermentative species of Lactobacillus have been isolated from sugary kefir grains. Most of the homofermentative strains fermented tagatose and aldonitol and presented 48–54% of homology with Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei NCDO 151 (ex Lactobacillus casei ). The two variants of a heterofermentative species, although fermenting arabinose, were related to Lactobacillus hilgardii NCDO 264 (type strain) with 88% of homology. One of them produced polysaccharide from sucrose at pH 4–8 and 30°C; the best glucose conversion into polysaccharide was obtained from 3% of sucrose (81–8%), and the maximum production occurred about 35 hours after the end of the log phase of growth, in MRS sucrose broth. Polysaccharide formation did not occur above 40°C, a temperature at which no growth was observed. The two variants were forming minicells by abnormal divisions. |
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