Protease production by Leuconostoc oenos strains isolated from wine

Two separate, extracellular proteolytic activities were demonstrated in four strains of Leuconostoc oenos isolated from Argentinian wines. The first took place in the early growth phase and the other had its maximum at the end of growth. The two proteolytic enzymes had different pH and temperature optima. Divalent metal ions had different effects not only on each L. oenos strain but also on each of the two proteases from each strain.     

Acetoin production in Leuconostoc mesenteroides NCDO 518

Abstract Cell suspensions of Leuconostoc mesenteroides NCDO 518 converted pyruvate to acetoin and a small amount of lactate and acetate. Acetoin was not produced from mixtures of pyruvate and glucose unless the ratio of pyruvate to glucose was greater than 2:1. In the presence of glucose, external pyruvate was first used as an electron acceptor, being reduced to lactate, and was converted to acetoin only after the exhaustion of glucose. Use of added pyruvate as an electron acceptor suppressed ethanol formation and the products of glucose fermentation were then lactate and acetate; 2 mol of pyruvate per mol of glucose were required to completely suppress ethanol formation. It is suggested that acetoin is produced by heterofermentative organisms when available pyruvate is in excess of that required for reoxidation of all NADH produced during glucose fermentation.     

Lysine-21 of Leuconostoc mesenteroides glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase participates in substrate binding through charge-charge interaction.

Leuconostoc mesenteroides glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) was isolated in high yield and purified to homogeneity from a newly constructed strain of Escherichia coli which lacks its own glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase gene. Lys-21 is one of two lysyl residues in the enzyme previously modified by the affinity labels pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and pyridoxal 5'-diphosphate-5'-adenosine, which are competitive inhibitors of the enzyme with respect to glucose 6-phosphate (LaDine, J.R., Carlow, D., Lee, W.T., Cross, R.L., Flynn, T.G., & Levy, H.R., 1991, J. Biol. Chem. 266, 5558-5562). K21R and K21Q mutants of the enzyme were purified to homogeneity and characterized kinetically to determine the function of Lys-21. Both mutant enzymes showed increased Km-values for glucose 6-phosphate compared to wild-type enzyme: 1.4-fold (NAD-linked reaction) and 2.1-fold (NADP-linked reaction) for the K21R enzyme, and 36-fold (NAD-linked reaction) and 53-fold (NADP-linked reaction) for the K21Q enzyme. The Km for NADP+ was unchanged in both mutant enzymes. The Km for NAD+ was increased 1.5- and 3.2-fold, compared to the wild-type enzyme, in the K21R and K21Q enzymes, respectively. For the K21R enzyme the kcat for the NAD- and NADP-linked reactions was unchanged. The kcat for the K21Q enzyme was increased in the NAD-linked reaction by 26% and decreased by 30% in the NADP-linked reaction from the values for the wild-type enzyme. The data are consistent with Lys-21 participating in the binding of the phosphate group of the substrate to the enzyme via charge-charge interaction.     

Aeration-controlled formation of acetic acid in heterolactic fermentations

Summary Controlled aeration ofLeuconostoc mesenteroides was studied as a possible mechanism for control of the formation of acetic acid a metabolite of major influence on the taste of lactic fermented foods. Fermentations were carried out in small scale in a medium in which growth was limited by the buffer capacity only. Ethanol and acetic acid formed during the fermentation were analyzed by rapid head space gas chromatography, and the ratio of the molar concentrations of these two volatiles quantitatively predicted the balance between the formation of acetic acid and lactic acid. The oxygen concentration during the fermentations decreased rapidly to zero, meaning that oxygen transfer was limited by the volumetric oxygen transfer rate,k ₁ aC ^*. A linear correlation between k₁aC^* and the quantity of acetic acid produced was established, and it is suggested that such oxygenated heterolactic fermentation processes should be analyzed as fed-batch fermentations with oxygen as the limiting substrate. Addition of fructose in limited amounts leads to the formation of one half mole of acetic acid for each mole fructose, thus offering an alternative mechanism for controlling acetic acid formation.     

Leuconostoc oenos and malolactic fermentation in wine: a review

This review article summarizes the state of the art on Leuconostoc oenos, the bacteria responsible for malolactic fermentation in wine. Both basic and practical aspects related to the metabolism of this microorganism and malolactic fermentation in general are critically reviewed. The former examines the role of genetics for the identification and classification of L. oenos and energetic mechanisms on solute transport (malic and lactic acid). The latter includes practical information on biomass production, optimal growth conditions and stress factors, which are important in growth optimization of malolactic starter cultures. Extensive data and references on the effect of malolactic fermentation on wine composition and sensory analysis are also included. Received 06 May 1999/ Accepted in revised form 13 July 1999     

Properties of Leuconostoc mesenteroides B-512FMC constitutive dextransucrase

Leuconostoc mesenteroides B-512FMC, a constitutive mutant for dextransucrase, was grown on glucose, fructose, or sucrose. The amount of cell-associated dextransucrase was about the same for the three sugars at different concentrations (0.6% and 3%). Enzyme produced in glucose medium was adsorbed on Sephadex G-100 and G-200, but much less enzyme was adsorbed when it was produced in sucrose medium. Sephadex adsorption decreased when the glucose-produced enzyme was preincubated with dextrans of molecular size greater than 10 kDa. The release of dextransucrase activity from Sephadex by buffer (20 mM acetate, pH 5.2) was the highest at 28°–30°C. The addition of dextran to the enzyme stimulated dextran synthesis but had very little effect on the temperature or pH stability. Dextransucrase purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, hydroxyapatite chromatography, and Sephadex G-200 adsorption did not contain any carbohydrate, and it synthesized dextran, showing that primers are not necessary to initiate dextran synthesis. The purified enzyme had a molecular size of 184 kDa on SDS-PAGE. On standing at 4°C for 30 days, the native enzyme was dissociated into three inactive proteins of 65, 62, and 57 kDa. However, two protein bands of 63 and 59 kDa were obtained on SDS-PAGE after heat denaturation of the 184-kDa active enzyme at 100°C. The amount of 63-kDa protein was about twice that of 59-kDa protein. The native enzyme is believed to be a trimer of two 63-kDa and one 59-kDa monomers.     

Influence of nitrogen/carbon ratio and complementary sugars on dextransucrase production by Leuconostoc mesenteroides NRRL B512(f).

The influence of the nitrogen/carbon ratio was studied during fermentation with Leuconostoc mesenteroides NRRL B512(f) using sucrose as substrate. The enzyme concentration was measured through activity tests and radiotracer tests with [¹⁴C]phenylalanine. In batch fermentation a slowing down in the rate of enzyme synthesis was observed with a decrease in the nitrogen/carbon ratio. Addition of pulses of nitrogen when the nitrogen/carbon ratio decreased allowed a constant production rate of enzyme and lower fermentation time. The influence of complementary sugars was also addressed. Lactose inhibited enzyme production. When galactose was used the yield was the same as in the fermentation with sucrose alone, but with a different production rate. Maltose favoured the synthesis of dextransucrase.     

柠檬明串珠菌及相近种部分持家基因的系统发育分析

[目的]利用16S rRNA、dnaA、murC和pyrG基因分子标记研究Leuconostoc citreum(Leu.citreum)及相近种间的种系发育关系,并比较这些基因序列对Leu.citreum及相近种的区分能力.[方法]以分离自酸面团中的7株Leu.citreum为研究对象,以dnaA、murC和pyrG基因片段为标记,通过PCR扩增、测序,结合已公布的近缘种及亚种相应序列,计算遗传距离,构建系统发育树,并与16S rRNA基因进行比较.[结果]研究发现Leu.citreum及相近种间的dnaA、murC和pyrG基因构建的系统发育树拓扑结构与16S rRNA基因基本一致,区别在于相似性的不同,其分别为75.5％-97.2％、50.2％-99.7％、65.0％-99.8％和98.5％-100％.[结论]在Leu.citreum及相近种间的种系发育关系中,dnaA、murC和pyrG基因与16S rRNA基因系统进化关系都具有很好的一致性,但这三个持家基因的遗传距离显著高于16S rRNA基因.因此,采用dnaA、murC和pyrG基因可以用于Leu.citreum及相近种的分类鉴定.     

酒明串珠菌31DH酿酒特性的研究

研究了四个品种干红葡萄酒的酒明串珠菌（Leuconostocoenos）31DH的酿酒特性。结果表明,18～20℃为该菌进行苹果酸-乳酸发酵（MLF）的最适温度;PH＜3.1时,MLF触发困难;31DH对总SO2的抗性达60mg／L且能耐12.8％的酒精度。葡萄酒经过MLF后,总酸下降2．0～3．5g／L,挥发酸和挥发酯分别上升0．20～0．30g／L和0．15～0．22g／L,风味平衡指数达5以上,口感变得柔和、润口、协调,酒质得到提高。     

利用肠膜明串珠菌诱变株生产潘糖的研究

利用肠膜明串珠菌葡萄糖基转移酶 ,以蔗糖和麦芽糖作底物 ,将蔗糖的葡萄糖基转到麦芽糖上 ,生产低聚寡糖———潘糖。利用硫酸二乙酯作为诱变剂 ,对肠膜明串珠菌进行诱变 ,以提高其葡萄糖基转移酶的产酶活力。经诱变后 ,其产酶活力提高 4 8倍。