Improved medium for lactic streptococci and their bacteriophages

Incorporation of 1.9% β-disodium glycerophosphate (GP) into a complex medium resulted in improved growth by lactic streptococci at 30 C. The medium, called M17, contained: Phytone peptone, 5.0 g; polypeptone, 5.0 g; yeast extract, 2.5 g; beef extract, 5.0 g; lactose, 5.0 g; ascorbic acid, 0.5 g; GP, 19.0 g; 1.0 M MgSO₄·7H₂O, 1.0 ml; and glass-distilled water, 1,000 ml. Based on absorbance readings and total counts, all strains of Streptococcus cremoris, S. diacetilactis, and S. lactis grew better in M17 medium than in a similar medium lacking GP or in lactic broth. Enhanced growth was probably due to the increased buffering capacity of the medium, since pH values below 5.70 were not reached after 24 h of growth at 30 C by S. lactis or S. cremoris strains. The medium also proved useful for isolation of bacterial mutants lacking the ability to ferment lactose; such mutants formed minute colonies on M17 agar plates, whereas wild-type cells formed colonies 3 to 4 mm in diameter. Incorporation of sterile GP into skim milk at 1.9% final concentration resulted in enhanced acid-producing activity by lactic streptococci when cells were inoculated from GP milk into skim milk not containing GP. M17 medium also proved superior to other media in demonstrating and distinguishing between lactic streptococcal bacteriophages. Plaques larger than 6 mm in diameter developed with some phage-host combinations, and turbid plaques, indicative of lysogeny, were also easily demonstrated for some systems.     

Associative growth studies in three-strain mixtures of lactic streptococci

A recently developed differential agar medium was used to study associative growth patterns in 17 different heterologous, three-strain mixtures of Streptococcus lactis, S. cremoris, and S. diacetilactis grown in milk. Mixtures were made by combining equal volumes of 18-hr milk cultures of the three species. Relative populations of component species were followed through three successive transfers in milk after the initial mixed propagation. Direct evidence for strain dominance and compatibility was obtained. A procedure also was developed to estimate the extent of suppression of S. lactis and S. diacetilactis in a mixture containing a dominant S. cremoris strain. The technique described could be successfully applied in quality-control work in the dairy-starter manufacturing industry.     

Influence of Carbohydrate Starvation and Arginine on Culturability and Amino Acid Utilization of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis

Two strains of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis were used to determine the influence of lactose and arginine on viability and amino acid use during carbohydrate starvation. Lactose provided energy for logarithmic-phase growth, and amino acids such as arginine provided energy after carbohydrate exhaustion. Survival time, cell numbers, and ATP concentrations increased with the addition of arginine to the basal medium. By the onset of lactose exhaustion, the concentrations of glycine-valine and glutamate had decreased by as much as 67% in L. lactis ML3, whereas the serine concentration increased by 97% during the same period. When no lactose was added, the concentrations of these amino acids remained constant. Similar trends were observed for L. lactis 11454. Without lactose or arginine, L. lactis ML3 was nonculturable on agar but was viable after 2 days, as measured by fluorescent viability stains and intracellular ATP levels. However, L. lactis 11454 without lactose or arginine remained culturable for at least 14 days. These data suggest that lactococci become viable but nonculturable in response to carbohydrate depletion. Additionally, these data indicate that amino acids other than arginine facilitate the survival of L. lactis during carbohydrate starvation.     

Differentiation of Streptococcus lactis var. maltigenes from Other Lactic Streptococci

Strains of lactic streptococci isolated from samples of raw milk which had developed a malty aroma were subjected to the cultural, physiological, and serological tests commonly employed in the classification of streptococci. None of the strains could be differentiated from Streptococcus lactis by these tests. Resting cells of strains which produced an organoleptically detectable malty aroma when cultured in milk were usually found to possess an active α-ketoacid decarboxylase, indicating the presence of the mechanism responsible for the characteristic aroma production. This decarboxylase activity was either weak or nonexistent in the nonmalty strains, and no activity was detected in known strains of S. lactis, S. cremoris, or S. diacetilactis. The malty strains usually produced higher acidities in milk than did the nonmalty strains, and, in most instances, they developed a granular type of growth sediment in broth, as opposed to a viscid sediment. Many of them gave weakly positive Voges-Proskauer tests in glucose broth with or without added citrate and appeared to be somewhat more resistant to nisin than the nonmalty strains.     

Carbohydrate Fermentation by Streptococcus cremoris and Streptococcus lactis Growing in Agar Gels

When lactic streptococci were embedded in agar gels and incubated at 30°C, the end products of carbohydrate fermentation depended on the initial cell density, which determined the subsequent distribution and size of colonies in the gel. With high initial cell densities, microcolonies formed close together and lactose and glucose were converted almost entirely to lactate. However, inoculation with a small number of cells, which then grew to form widely spaced and comparatively large colonies, resulted in up to 30% diversion of end product, usually to formate, ethanol, and acetate. In these “low-colony-density” gel cultures, the initial rate of fermentation was exponential and only lactate was formed. However, this rate then became linear and fermentation became progressively more heterolactic. Streptococcus lactis ML₈ was the only strain among the 10 tested which remained homolactic. Incubation at temperatures either above or below the optimum for growth and metabolism decreased the diversion to end products other than lactate. The change from homo- to heterolactic fermentation appears to be caused by carbohydrate depletion in the vicinity of the colony, so that fermentation is then limited by the diffusion of substrate. Growth of cells on gel surfaces exposed to air resulted in up to 40% diversion of end product from lactate, mainly to CO₂, acetoin, 2,3-butanediol, and acetate. Six of the 12 Streptococcus cremoris strains tested remained homolactic under these aerobic conditions, whereas all 8 of the S. lactis strains tested, including ML₈, were heterolactic.     

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.     

Conjugal Strategy for Construction of Fast Acid-Producing, Bacteriophage-Resistant Lactic Streptococci for Use in Dairy Fermentations

Bacteriophage-resistant dairy streptococci were obtained following conjugal transfer of pTR2030 from a lactose-negative donor, Streptococcus lactis TEK12, to lactose-positive recipient strains, Streptococcus cremoris LMA13 and 924 and S. lactis LMA12. Fast acid-producing, phage-resistant transconjugants were selected by challenge with homologous phage on fast-slow differential agar or lactose indicator agar. Acquisition of pTR2030 by the transconjugants was confirmed by DNA-DNA hybridization. Resistance of transconjugants to homologous phage was complete. Curing or deletion of pTR2030 in the transconjugants confirmed that phage resistance was due to pTR2030 acquisition and not to coincident background mutation. Phage-sensitive pTR2030 deletion derivatives of LMA12 transconjugants were isolated in vivo. The HindIII fragment B of pTR2030 was subcloned into pBR322 to yield a recombinant plasmid, pMET2, useful as a source of pTR2030 DNA. A specific, chemically synthesized oligomer useful as a pTR2030 probe was derived from the sequence of a small portion of pTR2030. The conjugal strategy presented here was effective in yielding fast acid-producing, phage-resistant S. cremoris and S. lactis strains without the use of antibiotic resistance markers and without interfering with the acid-producing ability of the recipient strain.     

Deoxyribonucleic Acid Homology Among Lactic Streptococci

A comparison was made by deoxyribonucleic acid homology of 45 strains of lactic streptococci, using two strains of Streptococcus cremoris and three strains of Streptococcus lactis as reference strains. All S. cremoris strains were grouped together by deoxyribonucleic acid homology. S. lactis strains formed a second group, except that three strains of S. lactis showed a high degree of homology with S. cremoris strains. The three Streptococcus diacetylactis strains could not be differentiated from S. lactis strains. In spite of these differences between S. lactis and S. cremoris strains, the majority of S. cremoris, S. lactis, and S. diacetylactis strains studied had at least 50% of their base sequences in common. In contrast, Streptococcus thermophilus strains generally showed little relationship with the other strains of lactic streptococci. The relevance of these findings to the selection of starter strains for cheese making is discussed.     

Effects of pH and Sugar on Acetoin Production from Citrate by Leuconostoc lactis

The relationship between acetoin production and citrate utilization in Leuconostoc lactis NCW1 was studied. In a complex medium the organism utilized citrate at neutral pH (initial pH, 6.3) and at acid pH (initial pH, 4.5) but produced nine times more acetoin at the latter pH. In resting cells the utilization of citrate was optimum at pH 5.3. Production of acetoin as a function of citrate utilization increased as the pH decreased, and at pH 4.3 all of the citrate utilized was recovered as acetoin. Glucose (10 mM) and lactose (10 mM) markedly stimulated citrate utilization but totally inhibited acetoin production in glucose- and lactose-grown cells. Addition of glucose to cells actively metabolizing citrate caused an immediate increase in citrate uptake and a reduction in the level of acetoin. The apparent K_m values of lactic dehydrogenase for pyruvate were 1.05, 0.25, and 0.15 mM at pH 7.5, 6.5, and 5.0, respectively. Several heterofermentation intermediates inhibited α-acetolactate synthetase and decarboxylase activities. The implications of these results in regulating acetoin formatin are discussed.     

Biological ensiling of sugarcane tops

The following lactic acid bacteria were isolated from sugarcane tops silage:Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus buchneri, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Pediococcus cerevisiae, Leuconostoc mesenteroides andStreptococcus lactis. The isolates were grown in a synthetic medium and the final pH, sugar uptake and the effect of adding CaCO₃ and L1, L2 and L3 factors was observed. The importance of the buffering capacity of the ensiled material for the silage process with a view to the occurrence of lactic acid bacteria is discussed.     

Molar Growth Yields of Certain Lactic Acid Bacteria as Influenced by Autolysis

Molar growth yields determined from batch cultures of Streptococcus diacetilactis and S. faecalis were appreciably greater at the peaks of maximal growth than after continued incubation and considerable autolysis. The higher molar growth yields were about equal to those determined in a continuous culture. Autolysis during logarithmic growth was minimal. The average Y value for adenosine triphosphate (ATP), determined by using limiting concentrations of glucose, galactose, lactose, and maltose for growing S. diacetilactis and limiting concentrations of glucose for growing S. lactis, S. cremoris, and S. faecalis, was 17.0. This is close to the Y (arginine) value of 17.8 determined with S. faecalis, but 62% greater than the generally accepted value of 10.5. Data are presented indicating that the often-used Y (ATP) value of 10.5 is erroneously low.     

Potential of Lactic Streptococci to Produce Bacteriocin

A survey was made on the bacteriocin-producing potential of lactic streptococci. Bacteriocin-like activities were isolated and partially purified from about 5% of the 280 strains investigated. The frequency of production varied from about 1% in Streptococcus lactis subsp. diacetylactis to 9 and 7.5% in S. lactis and Streptococcus cremoris, respectively. Eight strains of S. cremoris produced bacteriocins which, on the basis of heat stability at different pH values and inhibitory spectrum, could be divided into four types. From 54 S. lactis strains, 5 strains produced inhibitory substances, namely, three nisin-like antibiotics and two different bacteriocins. Only 1 of 93 S. lactis subsp. diacetylactis strains produced a bacteriocin which was very similar to bacteriocins of type I in S. cremoris. All of the bacteriocins that were partially purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation showed very limited inhibitory spectra. Most of the lactic streptococci and a few members of the genera Clostridium, Leuconostoc, and Pediococcus were inhibited. None of the bacteriocins acted on gram-negative bacteria. The bacteriocinogenic strains were also characterized on the basis of plasmid content. All strains possessed between one and nine plasmids ranging from 1 to 50 megadaltons.     

Improved Medium for Detection of Citrate-Fermenting Streptococcus lactis subsp. diacetylactis

A modified medium which distinguished between citrate-fermenting and non-citrate-fermenting species of lactic streptococci within 48 h was developed. In addition, the occurrence of citrate-negative variants in citrate-positive populations of Streptococcus lactis subsp. diacetylactis could be detected.     

Cloning of a Streptococcus lactis subsp. lactis Chromosomal Fragment Associated with the Ability To Grow in Milk

A chromosomal fragment of 6.7 megadaltons (MDa), apparently containing the genes for milk protein utilization by Streptococcus lactis subsp. lactis SSL135, was cloned in S. lactis subsp. lactis MG1614, a proteinase-negative strain. For the cloning, the chromosomal DNA of SSL135 was cleaved with restriction enzyme BamHI and the resulting fragments were ligated to the single BclI site of pVS2, a 3.3-MDa chloramphenicol-erythromycin double-resistance plasmid constructed in this laboratory. S. lactis subsp. lactis MG1614 was transformed by using this ligation mixture and selecting for chloramphenicol resistance and growth in citrated milk medium. One clone containing a 10.0-MDa plasmid, subsequently designated as pVS6, was chosen for further studies. Despite the lack of homology with previously characterized proteinase genes of lactic streptococci, the cloned insert consistently conveyed the ability to grow in milk to proteinase-negative recipients in repeated transformation experiments. The genetic evidence suggests that the main part of the gene(s) for the proposed proteinase activity is located within a 3.8-MDa BglII fragment of the clone.     

Generalized model of the effect of pH on lactate fermentation and citrate bioconversion in Lactococcus lactis ssp. Lactis biovar. diacetylactis

An aroma-imparting mesophilic lactic starter (Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis) was studied in batch culture in medium with 50 g·l^–1 lactose and 2 g·l^–1 citrate. The effect of pH on the physiology of growth and the production of flavour compounds was investigated with a mathematical model. The specific rates of growth and of lactose fermentation obeyed a law of non-competitive inhibition by lactic acid produced, inhibition increasing as the pH of the medium decreased. The pH thus acted indirectly by increasing the proportion of non-dissociated lactic acid, identified as the inhibiting form of lactic acid. The generalized model, taking into account the effect of pH, was tested using fermentations at pH controlled at different values (4.5–6.5), as well as with a fermentation conducted at non-regulated pH. These simulations supported the working hypotheses. The effect of pH on the fermentation of citric acid resulted in an increase in the maximal specific rate of citrate utilization, in the bioconversion yield, and in the constant of diacetyl and acetoin reduction at acid pH. The production of flavour compounds is a complex phenomenon resulting from the interaction of pH, citric acid concentration, and the physiological state of the cells. These results are discussed with respect to the use of this strain in the preparation of manufactured dairy products.     

Studies on the effects of low temperatures on lactic acid bacteria

Studies were conducted on different strains of L. bulgaricus, L. casei, S. thermophilus, S. lactis, and S. cremoris isolated in Bulgaria and applied as pure cultures and in combinations as starters. All the strains under investigation were found to preserve, on “freezing-thawing” their characteristic morphological and biochemical properties, regardless of the temperature and rate of cooling, but the optimum freezing temperature of the strains studied is ?196 °C (in liquid nitrogen). High cooling rates provide higher viability and activity of lactic acid bacterial cells. Lactic acid streptococci, S. lactis and S. thermophilus, are considerably more resistant than lactic acid rods, L. casei and L. bulgaricus, at all the freezing regimens tested.     

Improved Method for Detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Seafood

We have developed a new, effective procedure for detecting Vibrio parahaemolyticus in seafoods using enrichment and plating onto a chromogenic agar medium. Samples were cultured in salt Trypticase soy broth, which is a nonselective medium, and then a portion of the culture was cultured with salt polymyxin broth, which is a selective medium for V. parahaemolyticus. This two-step enrichment was more effective than the one-step enrichment in salt polymyxin broth alone. The enrichment cultures were then plated onto a new chromogenic agar containing substrates for beta-galactosidase. The V. parahaemolyticus colonies developed a purple color on this growth medium that distinguished them from other related bacterial strains. V. parahaemolyticus was isolated more frequently from naturally contaminated seafood samples using the chromogenic agar than thiosulfate citrate bile salts sucrose agar medium, which is currently used for the isolation of V. parahaemolyticus. Our findings suggest that this new enrichment and isolation scheme is more sensitive and accurate for identifying V. parahaemolyticus in seafood samples than previously used methods.     

Citrate lyase from Streptococcus diacetilactis

Citrate lyase (EC 4.1.3.6) was purified 38-fold from cell-free extracts of Streptococcus diacetilactis. The enzyme was homogeneous in analytical ultracentrifugation and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis The final enzyme preparation contained acetate: HS-citrate lyase ligase—an acetylating enzyme which converts inactive HS-citrate lyase into enzymatically active acetyl-S-citrate lyase. This enzyme activity was purified 25-fold over the crude extract and seemed to be associated with citrate lyase. Partially purified citrate lyase from Leuconostoc citrovorum contained also its acetylating enzyme. Purified citrate lyases from Klebsiella aerogenes and Rhodopseudomonas gelatinosa were devoid of acetylating enzyme activity. The HS-form of citrate lyase from S. diacetilactis was completely acetylated and hence activated by incubation with ATP and acetate for 25 min at 25° C. The enzyme did not acetylate the HS-lyases from R. gelatinosa and K. aerogenes. In contrast to the citrate lyases from R. gelatinosa and K. aerogenes the enzymes from S. diacetilactis and L. citrovorum showed onlya very weak reaction inactivation. It is assumed that this is due to the association of the acetylating enzymes with these lyases.     

Growth and Energy Generation by Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis during Citrate Metabolism

Growth of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis was observed on media with citrate as the only energy source. At pH 5.6, steady state was achieved in a chemostat on a citrate-containing medium in the absence of a carbohydrate. Under these conditions, pyruvate, acetate, and some acetoin and butanediol were the main fermentation products. This indicated that energy was conserved in L. lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis during citrate metabolism and presumably during the conversion of citrate into pyruvate. The presumed energy-conserving step, decarboxylation of oxaloacetate, was studied in detail. Oxaloacetate decarboxylase was purified to homogeneity and characterized. The enzyme has a native molecular mass of approximately 300 kDa and consists of three subunits of 52, 34, and 12 kDa. The enzyme is apparently not sodium dependent and does not contain a biotin moiety, and it seems to be different from the energy-generating oxaloacetate decarboxylase from Klebsiella pneumoniae. Energy-depleted L. lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis cells generated a membrane potential and a pH gradient immediately upon addition of citrate, whereas ATP formation was slow and limited. In contrast, lactose energization resulted in rapid ATP formation and gradual generation of a proton motive force. These data were confirmed during studies on amino acid uptake. α-Aminoisobutyrate uptake was rapid but glutamate uptake was slow in citrate-energized cells, whereas lactose-energized cells showed the reverse tendency. These data suggest that, in L. lactis subsp. lactis bv. diacetylactis, a proton motive force could be generated during citrate metabolism as a result of electrogenic citrate uptake or citrate/product exchange together with proton consumption by the intracellular oxaloacetate decarboxylase.     

A Novel Chromogenic Ester Agar Medium for Detection of Salmonellae

A novel agar medium, chromogenic Salmonella esterase (CSE) agar, for the differentiation of salmonellae is described. The agar contains peptones and nutrient extracts together with the following (grams per liter unless otherwise specified): 4-[2-(4-octanoyloxy-3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-vinyl]-quinolinium-1-(propan-3-yl carboxylic acid) bromide (SLPA-octanoate; bromide form), 0.3223; lactose, 14.65; trisodium citrate dihydrate, 0.5; Tween 20, 3.0; ethyl 4-dimethylaminobenzoate, 0.035% (wt/vol), novobiocin, 70 mg liter⁻¹. The key component of the medium is SLPA-octanoate, a newly synthesized ester formed from a C₈ fatty acid and a phenolic chromophore. In CSE agar, the ester is hydrolyzed by Salmonella spp. to yield a brightly colored phenol which remains tightly bound within colonies. After 24 h of incubation at 37 or 42°C, colonies of typical Salmonella spp. were burgundy colored on a transparent yellow background, whereas non-Salmonella spp. were white, cream, yellow or transparent. CSE agar was evaluated by using a panel of strains including a high proportion of Salmonella and non-Salmonella strains giving atypical reactions on other differential agars. The sensitivity (93.1%) of CSE agar for non-typhi salmonellae compared favorably with those of Rambach (82.8%), xylose-lysine-deoxycholate (XLD; 91.4%), Hektoen-enteric (89.7%), and SM ID (91.4%) agars. The specificity (93.9%) was also comparable to those of other Salmonella media (SM ID agar, 95.9%; Rambach agar, 91.8%; XLD agar, 91.8%; Hektoen-enteric agar, 87.8%). Strains of Citrobacter freundii and Proteus spp. giving false-positive reactions with other media gave a negative color reaction on CSE agar. CSE agar enabled the detection of >30 Salmonella serotypes, including agona, anatum, enteritidis, hadar, heidelberg, infantis, montevideo, thompson, typhimurium, and virchow, which accounted for 91.8% of the salmonella isolates recorded by the Public Health Laboratory Service (Colindale, London, England) for 1997.