Characterization of wild strains ofLactococcus lactissubsp.lactisisolated from Cabrales cheese

Abstract

SummaryTwentyLactococcus lactissubsp.lactisstrains isolated from cheese made from raw milk have been, studied and compared with well known starter strains. Many of them produced acid bacteriocins resembling those of other lactic streptococci and their patterns of antimicrobial agent susceptibility were also similar to previously studied dairy strains. On the basis of their ability to clot milk they could be divided into two groups. Some strains were rapid fermenters, with highβ-phosphogalactosidase and proteolytic activities. The other group had lowβ-phosphogalactosidase activity and coagulated milk slowly, but seemed to have proteolytic activity. All the strains had plasmid DNA in amounts and sizes similar to starter strains. Aβ-phosphogalactosidase probe was constructed with plasmid DNA from aLc. lactissubsp.lactisNCDO 712 derivative. Southern hybridization located homologous sequences in chromosomal and plasmid DNA from the wild isolates that fermented lactose efficiently, but the degree of homology was lower than that observed between starter strains.