Cloning and sequencing of the novel abortive infection gene abiH of Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis S94

Abstract A gene which encodes resistance by abortive infection (Abi⁺) to bacteriophage was cloned from Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis S94. This gene was found to confer a reduction in efficiency of plating and plaque size for prolate-headed bacteriophage φ53 (group I of homology) and total resistance to the small isometric-headed bacteriophage φ59 (group III of homology). The cloned gene is predicted to encode a polypeptide of 346 amino acid residues with a deduced molecular mass of 41 455 Da. No homology with any previously described genes was found. A probe was used to determine the presence of this gene in two strains on 31 tested.     

Development of High-Frequency Delivery System for Transposon Tn919 in Lactic Streptococci: Random Insertion in Streptococcus lactis subsp. diacetylactis 18-16

The conjugative transposon Tn919, originally isolated in Streptococcus sanguis FC1, is capable of low-frequency transfer (10⁻⁷ and 10⁻⁸ per recipient) on membrane filters to a wide number of streptococcal recipients including the industrially important lactic streptococci. The introduction of pMG600 (Lac⁺ Lax⁻; a lactose plasmid capable of conjugative transfer at high frequencies and which, in certain hosts, confers an unusual clumping phenotype) into a Streptococcus lactis CH919 donor, generating S. lactis CH001, resulted in a significant improvement in the transfer frequency of Tn919 to S. lactis CK50 (1.25 × 10⁻⁴ per recipient). In addition, these matings could be performed on agar surfaces, allowing the recovery of a greater number of recipients than with filter matings. Tn919 also transferred at high frequency to S. lactis subsp. diacetylactis 18-16S but not to Streptococcus cremoris strains. Insertion in 18-16S transconjugants generated from filter matings with an S. lactis CH919 donor was random, occurring at different sites on the chromosome and also in plasmid DNA. Thus, the conditions necessary for the practical exploitation of Tn919 in the targeting and cloning of genes from a member of the lactic streptococci, namely, high-frequency delivery and random insertion in host DNA, were achieved.     

The stability of the lactose and citrate plasmids in Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis

We have studied the intraperoxisomal location of catalase in peroxisomes of methanol-grown Hansenula polymorpha by (immuno)cytochemical means. In completely crystalline peroxisomes, in which the crystalline matrix is composed of octameric alcohol oxidase (AO) molecules, most of the catalase protein is located in a narrow zone between the crystalloid and the peroxisomal membrane. In non-crystalline organelles the enzyme was present throughout the peroxisomal matrix. Other peroxisomal matrix enzymes studied for comparison, namely dihydroxyacetone synthase, amine oxidase and malate synthase, all were present throughout the AO crystalloid. The advantage of location of catalase at the edges of the AO crystalloids for growth of the organism on methanol is discussed.     

Isolation and properties of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis CNRZ 483 mutants producing diacetyl and acetoin from glucose.

Following treatment with the mutagen N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, three mutants of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis CNRZ 483 that produced diacetyl and acetoin from glucose were isolated. The lactate dehydrogenase activity of these mutants was strongly attenuated, and the mutants produced less lactate than the parental strain. The kinetic properties of lactate dehydrogenase of strain CNRZ 483 and the mutants revealed differences in the affinity of the enzyme for pyruvate, NADH, and fructose-1,6-diphosphate. When cultured aerobically, strain CNRZ 483 transformed 2.3% of glucose to acetoin and produced no diacetyl or 2,3-butanediol. Under the same conditions, mutants 483L1, 483L2, and 483L3 transformed 42.0, 78.9, and 75.8%, respectively, of glucose to C4 compounds (diacetyl, acetoin, and 2,3-butanediol). Anaerobically, strain CNRZ 483 produced no C4 compounds, while mutants 483L1, 483L2, and 483L3 transformed 2.0, 37.0, and 25.8% of glucose to acetoin and 2,3-butanediol. In contrast to the parental strain, the NADH balance showed that the mutants regenerated most of the NAD via NADH oxidase under aerobic conditions and by ethanol production under anaerobic conditions.     

Genetic analysis of the minimal replicon of the Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis citrate plasmid

pBLI is a conjugative linear extrachromosomal element of 43 kb previously isolated after interspecific mating between Streptomyces bambergiensis and S. lividans. Cloning experiments using the non-conjugative, circular Streptomyces vector pIJ702 allowed the identification of a 5.74 kb region from pBL1 which facilitates plasmid transfer. Insertion and deletion mutagenesis, gene disruptions, and sequence data suggest that at least five previously unknown genes of pBL1 are required for efficient plasmid transfer and its regulation.     

Citrate can partially replace carbon dioxide required for growth of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis

Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis was grown as batch cultures on a chemically defined medium. No growth was observed when the cultures were sparged with pure nitrogen (1.3 l l-1 min-1) whereas the cultures displayed exponential growth in the presence of minute amounts of carbon dioxide (0.035 mol-% of the inlet gas). However, in the former case, the addition of citrate restored growth. This suggested that oxaloacetate required for aspartate biosynthesis can be formed by the carboxylation of pyruvate or by citrate catabolism. When the cultures were heavily sparged with nitrogen (2.6 l l-1 min-1), no growth was observed even in the presence of citrate. This indicated that growth in these conditions was repressed by the absence of carbon dioxide required in some other biosynthetic reaction than in the carboxylation of pyruvate leading to oxaloacetate/aspartate biosynthesis.     

Proton-dependent kinetics of citrate uptake in growing cells of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis bv. diacetylactis

Abstract The kinetic analysis of citrate uptake in growing cells of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis identified a proton-dependent transport and suggested the divalent anionic species as the form of citrate transported across cell membranes. The reaction followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics for a two-substrate reaction. The limiting steps were the formation of the ternary complex and the rate of transport. Temperature modified the activity of the permease, increasing the uptake rate.     

Modeling of growth and lactate fermentation by Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis in batch culture

The kinetic behaviour of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis was studied in batch culture under non-limiting conditions that allow high growth and product formation. A model based on laboratory results is proposed for growth and l-lactate fermentation. It shows the necessity for differentiating biomass into three physiological states, two active, X_g (growth + acidification) and X_ng (acidification), and one inactive, X_i. The kinetic theory of the model demonstrates the non-competitive nature of fermentation end-product inhibition on growth and acidification, and describes the passage from one physiological state to another. Satisfying simulations were obtained for batch fermentations, and the use of this type of model for determining and optimizing fermentation parameters is discussed. Correspondence to: C. Diviès     

Effect of Initial Oxygen Concentration on Diacetyl and Acetoin Production by Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis

The production of aroma compounds (acetoin and diacetyl) in fresh unripened cheese by Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis CNRZ 483 was studied at 30°C at different initial oxygen concentrations (0, 21, 50, and 100% of the medium saturation by oxygen). Regardless of the initial O₂ concentration, maximal production of these compounds was reached only after all the citrate was consumed. Diacetyl and acetoin production was 0.01 and 2.4 mM, respectively, at 0% oxygen. Maximum acetoin concentration reached 5.4 mM at 100% oxygen. Diacetyl production was increased by factors of 2, 6, and 18 at initial oxygen concentrations of 21, 50, and 100%, respectively. The diacetyl/acetoin concentration ratio increased linearly with initial oxygen concentration: it was eight times higher at 100% (3.3%) than at 0% oxygen (0.4%). The effect of oxygen on diacetyl and acetoin production was also shown with other lactococci. At 0% oxygen, specific activity of α-acetolactate synthetase (0.15 U/mg) and NADH oxidase (0.04 U/mg) was 3.6 and 5.4 times lower, respectively, than at 100% oxygen. The increasing α-acetolactate synthetase activity in the presence of oxygen would explain the higher production of diacetyl and acetoin. The NADH oxidase activity would replace the role of the lactate dehydrogenase, diacetyl reductase, and acetoin reductase in the reoxidation of NADH, allowing accumulation of these two aroma compounds.     

Molecular analyses of the lactococcin A gene cluster from Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis WM4.

The genes responsible for bacteriocin production and immunity in Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis WM4 were localized and characterized by DNA restriction fragment deletion, subcloning, and nucleotide sequence analysis. The nucleotide sequence of a 5.6-kb AvaII restriction fragment revealed a cluster with five complete open reading frames (ORFs) in the same orientation. DNA and protein homology analyses, combined with deletion and Tn5 insertion mutagenesis, implicated four of the ORFs in the production of and immunity to lactococcin A. The last two ORFs in the cluster were the lactococcin A structural and immunity genes, lcnA and lciA. The two ORFs immediately upstream of lcnA and lciA were designated lcnC and lcnD, and the proteins that they encoded showed similarities to proteins of signal sequence-independent secretion systems. lcnC encodes a protein of 716 amino acids that could belong to the HlyB family of ATP-dependent membrane translocators. LcnC contains an ATP binding domain in a conserved C-terminal stretch of approximately 200 amino acids and three putative hydrophobic segments in the N terminus. The lcnD product, LcnD, of 474 amino acids, is essential for lactococcin A expression and shows structural similarities to HlyD and its homologs. On the basis of these results, a secretion apparatus that is essential for the full expression of active lactococcin A is postulated.     

Molecular analyses of the lactococcin A gene cluster from Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis WM4.

The genes responsible for bacteriocin production and immunity in Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis WM4 were localized and characterized by DNA restriction fragment deletion, subcloning, and nucleotide sequence analysis. The nucleotide sequence of a 5.6-kb AvaII restriction fragment revealed a cluster with five complete open reading frames (ORFs) in the same orientation. DNA and protein homology analyses, combined with deletion and Tn5 insertion mutagenesis, implicated four of the ORFs in the production of and immunity to lactococcin A. The last two ORFs in the cluster were the lactococcin A structural and immunity genes, lcnA and lciA. The two ORFs immediately upstream of lcnA and lciA were designated lcnC and lcnD, and the proteins that they encoded showed similarities to proteins of signal sequence-independent secretion systems. lcnC encodes a protein of 716 amino acids that could belong to the HlyB family of ATP-dependent membrane translocators. LcnC contains an ATP binding domain in a conserved C-terminal stretch of approximately 200 amino acids and three putative hydrophobic segments in the N terminus. The lcnD product, LcnD, of 474 amino acids, is essential for lactococcin A expression and shows structural similarities to HlyD and its homologs. On the basis of these results, a secretion apparatus that is essential for the full expression of active lactococcin A is postulated.     

Cloning of the citrate permease gene of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis and expression in Escherichia coli

The citrate plasmid (Cit+ plasmid) from Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis was cloned into the EcoRI site of plasmid pUC18. This recombinant plasmid enabled Escherichia coli K-12 to transport and utilize citrate as a source of energy, indicating expression of the citrate permease from L. lactis biovar diacetylactis. The citrate permease was under the control of the lac promoter of pUC18. Genetic expression of the Cit+ plasmid in maxicells revealed that the plasmid encoded two polypeptides of 47 and 32 kilodaltons, determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.     

Cloning of the citrate permease gene of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis and expression in Escherichia coli.

The citrate plasmid (Cit+ plasmid) from Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis was cloned into the EcoRI site of plasmid pUC18. This recombinant plasmid enabled Escherichia coli K-12 to transport and utilize citrate as a source of energy, indicating expression of the citrate permease from L. lactis biovar diacetylactis. The citrate permease was under the control of the lac promoter of pUC18. Genetic expression of the Cit+ plasmid in maxicells revealed that the plasmid encoded two polypeptides of 47 and 32 kilodaltons, determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.     

Cloning of a chromosomal fragment from Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis partially complementing Escherichia coli recA functions

A recA-like gene was isolated from a gene library of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis by intergeneric complementation of an E. coli recA mutant. A plasmid was obtained which fully complemented the RecA response to DNA damaging agents and UV inducibility of prophage, but not P1 plating efficiency in an E. coli recA mutant. The cloned DNA fragment also partially complemented the rec mutation in Lc. lactis MMS36. Hybridization studies showed that there was no detectable sequence homology between the recA gene of E. coli and Lc. lactis subsp. lactis chromosomal DNA.     

sacA and nisA genes are not always linked in Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis strains

Sixty-seven lactococcal strains arising from dairy habitat were screened for the presence of the sucrose 6-phosphate hydrolase gene by polymerase chain reaction. Of the strains tested, 35.8% were able to ferment sucrose as well as to harbour the sucrose-6-phosphate hydrolase gene, even though they were unable to produce nisin as well as to show the nisin structural gene. After pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and hybridisation all Suc⁺Nis⁻ strains exhibited physical linkage between sacA gene and the left end of lactococcal transposons (Tn5276 or Tn5301) without linkage to nisin genes. However, we were unable to transfer the sacA gene as well as to detect Suc⁻ derivatives from Suc⁺Nis⁻ strains after conjugation and curing experiments.     

A comparative analysis of the citrate permease P mRNA stability in Lactococcus lactis biovar diacetylactis and Escherichia coli

The role of ribonucleases in the control of gene expression remains unknown in lactic acid bacteria. In the present work, we analysed the expression of the citP gene, which encodes the lactococcal citrate permease P, through the stability of the citQRP messenger in both Lactococcus lactis biovar diacetylactis (L. diacetylactis) and Escherichia coli. The chemical half-life for citQRP mRNA observed in L. diacetylactis wild-type strain was abnormally long for bacteria. It was even longer than that detected in E. coli RNase E or RNase III mutant strains. A model of processing and fate of RNA species containing citP gene is presented.