Recent Genetic Transfer between Lactococcus lactis and Enterobacteria

Recent genetic transfer between Lactococcus lactis and enterobacteria.

The genome sequence of Lactococcus lactis revealed that the ycdB gene was recently exchanged between lactococci and enterobacteria. The present study of ycdB orthologs suggests that L. lactis was probably the gene donor and reveals three instances of gene transfer to enterobacteria. Analysis of ycdB gene transfer between two L. lactis subspecies, L. lactis subsp. lactis and L. lactis subsp. cre...

Plasmid transfer via transduction from Streptococcus thermophilus to Lactococcus lactis.

Using Streptococcus thermophilus phages, plasmid transduction in Lactococcus lactis was demonstrated. The transduction frequencies were 4 orders of magnitude lower in L. lactis than in S. thermophilus. These results are the first evidence that there is phage-mediated direct transfer of DNA from S. thermophilus to L. lactis. The implications of these results for phage evolution are discussed.

Relationship between glycolysis and exopolysaccharide biosynthesis in Lactococcus lactis.

The relationships between glucose metabolism and exopolysaccharide (EPS) production in a Lactococcus lactis strain containing the EPS gene cluster (Eps(+)) and in nonproducer strain MG5267 (Eps(-)) were characterized. The concentrations of relevant phosphorylated intermediates in EPS and cell wall biosynthetic pathways or glycolysis were determined by (31)P nuclear magnetic resonance. The conce...

Instability in Lactococcus lactis

Lactococcus lactis as a live delivery vector

Mucosal surfaces of the body provide a universal entry portal for all known and emerging infectious pathogenic microbes. Therefore, it seems that special vaccination strategies are needed for vaccines that can hinder the entry capability of pathogenic microbes through the mucosal surfaces. Lactic acid bacteria are widely used in the food industry and are presently applied as delivery vehicles i...