A novel 51-kb conjugative transposon of Lactococcus lactis, designated Tn6098, encoding the capacity to utilize α-galactosides such as raffinose and stachyose, was identified and characterized. Alpha-galactosides are a dominant carbon source in many plant-derived foods. Most dairy lactococcus strains are unable to use α-galactosides as a growth substrate, yet many of these strains are known to ...

The genetic determinant (pepXP) of an X-prolyl dipeptidyl aminopeptidase (PepXP) has recently been cloned and sequenced from both Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris (B. Mayo, J. Kok, K. Venema, W. Bockelmann, M. Teuber, H. Reinke, and G. Venema, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 57:38-44, 1991) and L. lactis subsp. lactis (M. Nardi, M.-C. Chopin, A. Chopin, M.-M. Cals, and J.-C. Gripon, Appl. Environ. ...

Absence of the membrane protease FtsH in Lactococcus lactis hinders release of the bacteriophage TP712. In this work we have analyzed the mechanism responsible for the non-lytic phenotype of L. lactis ΔftsH after phage infection. The lytic cassette of TP712 contains a putative antiholin-pinholin system and a modular endolysin (LysTP712). Inducible expression of the holin gene demonstrated the p...

In biotechnological work horses like Streptococcus thermophilus and Bacillus subtilis natural competence can be induced, which facilitates genetic manipulation of these microbes. However, in strains of the important dairy starter Lactococcus lactis natural competence has not been established to date. However, in silico analysis of complete genome sequences of 43 L. lactis strains revealed compl...

We studied the effect of several lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on the humoral response of brown trout (Salmo trutta). LAB groups (Lactococcus (Lc.) lactis ssp. lactis, Lactobacillus (Lb.) sakei and Leuconostoc (Leu.) mesenteroides) were administered orally at 10(6) colony-forming units/g feed to brown trout for 2 weeks, after which fish were switched to an unsupplemented feed. Blood and intestinal...

Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM 5805(T) is a dairy lactic acid bacterium that induces plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC) activation. Here, we report the 2.55-Mb draft genome and annotation of Lactococcus lactis JCM 5805(T). This genome information will provide further insights into the mechanisms underlying the immunomodulatory function of this strain.

The aim of this work was to assess in-vitro the effect of pH and salt concentration on the rate of autolysis in L. lactis strains. Regardless autolysis variation among L. lactis strains, statistical analysis showed evidence of increase of autolysis in L. lactis under low salt concentration and acidic conditions.

Lactococcus lactis is a lactic acid bacterium used in the production of many fermented dairy products. We report the complete genome sequence of L. lactis subsp. lactis KF147, a nondairy strain isolated from mung bean sprouts. The circular chromosome of 2,598,144 bp, the largest among the sequenced lactococcal strains, encodes many properties related to adaptation to the plant environment.

Lactococcus lactis is one of the most important microorganisms in the dairy industry and has "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) status. L. lactis belongs to the group of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and is encountered in a wide range of environments. Recently, the use of the intramammary infusion of a live culture of LAB has been investigated as a new antibiotic alternative for treating mastit...