Is thermotolerance correlated to heat-shock protein synthesis in Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis?

Exposure of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis cells to a heat shock at 40 degrees C for 30 min induces thermotolerance, the increased ability of bacterial cells to survive exposure to lethal temperature (52 degrees C for 25 min). This transient state of thermal resistance is accompanied, as in Escherichia coli, by the synthesis of a new set of specific proteins termed heat-shock proteins (Hsps). Pre-treatment of the bacterial cells by antibiotics (streptomycin, spiramycin, kanamycin and erythromycin) known to act on translation, induces the major Hsps synthesis but no thermal protection; conversely, puromycin and amino acid analogues treatments, known to produce abnormal and incomplete peptides, triggers the thermotolerance state without inducing significant Hsps synthesis. These results demonstrate that heat-shock response and induced thermotolerance are not tightly correlated phenomena in L. lactis subsp. lactis.     

Efficacy of four conjugal lactococcal phage resistance plasmids against phage in commercial Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris cheese starter strains

The efficacy of four lactococcal phage resistance plasmids (pNP40, pMU1311, pDI60 and pKP100) against phage was assessed after their conjugal transfer to four commercial Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris cheese starter strains and to the plasmid-free strain L. lactis subsp. cremoris MG1363. In MG1363, only pNP40 conferred resistance to prolate phages c2 and 643. Highest levels of resistance to small isometric phages in MG1363 occurred when pNP40 was stacked together with pMU1311 or pDI60. In the four starter strains, the plasmids conferred varying levels of resistance to small isometric phages. Growth and acidification rates in milk of most transconjugants derived from the starter strains decreased, but this was not always due to loss of plasmid-encoded cell wall proteinase (lactocepin) activity. Only one transconjugant grew during repeated subculture in milk with addition of factory wheys containing phages. This and the presence of bacteriocins encoded on pMU1311 and pDI60 limited application of the plasmids to protect L. lactis subsp. cremoris starters against phages in industry. However, some of the plasmids could be useful in extending the industry life of starters where fast acid production is not required or where bacteriocin production is acceptable.     

乳酸乳球菌KLDS4.0325的B族维生素生物合成途径分析

为了探究乳酸乳球菌KLDS4.0325的B族维生素合成潜力,利用各类B族维生素生物合成途径的相关蛋白序列针对该菌株的氨基酸序列进行同源性搜索,并与其他9 株乳酸乳球菌的叶酸生物合成途径进行比较分析。结果表明：与参考菌株相比,乳酸乳球菌KLDS4.0325具有较为完整的叶酸和核黄素合成途径编码基因,在基因水平上可以有效合成叶酸和核黄素,具有相当大的工业潜能。     

Preventing phage lysis of Lactococcus lactis in cheese production using a neutralizing heavy-chain antibody fragment from llama

Bacteriophage infection is still a persistent problem in large dairy processes despite extensive studies over the last decades. Consequently, new methods are constantly sought to prevent phage infection. In this paper, we show that phage neutralizing heavy-chain antibody fragments, obtained from Camelidae and produced at a large scale in the generally regarded as safe microorganism Saccharomyces cerevisiae, can effectively be used to impede phage induced lysis during a cheese process. The growth inhibition of the cheese starter culture by 10(5) pfu/ml cheese-milk of the small isometric-headed 936-type phage p2 was prevented by the addition of only 0.1 microg/ml (7 nM) of the neutralizing antibody fragment. The use of such antibody fragments in cheese manufacturing are a realistic and interesting option because of the small amount of antibody fragments that are needed. Moreover the antibodies are produced in a food grade microorganism and can easily be isolated from the fermentation liquid in a pure and DNA free form.     

Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis HFY14对狼疮性肾炎小鼠肾功能的改善作用

本实验研究分离自四川红原自然发酵牦牛酸乳的Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis HFY14(LLSLHFY14)对降植烷诱导狼疮性肾炎小鼠肾功能改善的效果。采用不同剂量LLSLHFY14灌胃小鼠,分析小鼠血清白细胞介素(interleukin,IL)-2、IL-12等免疫指标的变化情况,然后通过苏木精-伊红(hematoxylin-eosin,H&E)切片观察肾脏组织的病变情况,通过定量聚合酶链式反应(quantitative polymerase chain reaction,qPCR)和Western blot测定肾脏组织中的IL-4、IL-1β和转化生长因子-β(transforming growth factor beta,TGF-β)mRNA相对表达量和蛋白相对表达量。结果显示,LLSLHFY14能够提升狼疮性肾炎小鼠胸腺指数和脾脏指数。血清实验显示LLSLHFY14能够抑制狼疮性肾炎造成的小鼠IL-2、IL-12、总蛋白(total protein,TP)、白蛋白(albumin,ALB)质量浓度下降和干扰素γ(interferon ga...     

Optimising detection of acidification kinetics diversity in Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis using SDS‐PAGE protein fingerprinting as screening method

Cell‐free extracts from 157 Lactococcus lactis strains isolated from Artisan cheese were screened by protein fingerprinting previous to their technological characterisation. The strains were classified according to their electrophoretic patterns into five groups. A set of strains representing the different clusters were selected to study their acidifying activity in milk. Time and rate feature points, as well as the shape of the acidification curves, resulted in six different fermentation kinetics, mostly consistent with the electrophoretic groups. Thus, selection of native strains as starter cultures based on their acidifying activity could be optimised by protein fingerprinting.     

Growth and metabolic behaviour of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis IPLA 947 in anaerobic lactose-limited chemostat cultures

Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis IPLA 947 is a starter strain isolated from a Spanish farmhouse acid-coagulated cheese. To use this strain as starter culture in Afuegal Pitu cheese manufacture, anaerobic lactose-limited chemostat cultures were used to optimise the active biomass production in a simple medium (BRFS). Growth, lactose consumption and metabolite production were measured at different pH values (5.5, 6.0 and 6.5) and dilution rates (0.06 to 0.96 h^–1). The influence of both variables on the quoted parameters was described by means of mathematical models. These provided a satisfactory representation of the experimental data. The bacterial response surface showed a significant increase in the biomass when the pH increased and the dilution rate decreased. As dilution rate increased, biomass yield increased but only at the lowest pH. The lactose consumption and the ratio of metabolic end products were also influenced by both variables. As dilution rate decreased, the residual lactose decreased and increased amounts of metabolites other than lactate (acetate, formate, ethanol) were produced. The minimum lactose consumption was obtained at pH 5.5 and 0.96 h^–1 dilution rate. A significant rise of acetate and formate levels occurred as pH increased. A maximum lactate level, along with an acetate, formate and ethanol production close to the minimum, was predicted by mathematical modelling at 0.5173 h^–1 dilution rate and pH 6.054.

硒化乳酸菌胞外多糖对小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞及肿瘤细胞内游离Ca2+的影响

目的：研究硒化乳酸菌胞外多糖对小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞、SGC7901胃癌细胞及海拉细胞（Hela cells）内游离Ca2+的影响。方法：分离制备小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞,利用Ca2+荧光探针Fluo-3/AM及激光共聚显微镜测定加药后10 min细胞内Ca2+浓度的变化。结果：添加硒化多糖后,巨噬细胞内Ca2+浓度缓慢升高,而胃癌细胞与Hela细胞内Ca2+水平均有不同程度的下降。结论：通过对乳酸菌胞外多糖进行硒化修饰可增强其刺激巨噬细胞的能力,因而发挥其免疫功效。硒化多糖与肿瘤细胞表面受体结合后引起细胞内Ca2+内流的减少,提示硒化后的多糖可引起肿瘤细胞不同程
度的细胞凋亡。     

乳酸菌胞外多糖的纯化及对小鼠血清和肝组织抗氧化性的影响

本实验对乳酸乳球菌乳亚种胞外多糖的纯化工艺及其抗氧化活性进行研究。纯化结果表明,选择DA201-C树脂,调节胞外多糖的pH值为3.5,在45℃条件下,树脂用量为2%(V/V),静态吸附20h后糖保留率为81.56%,蛋白脱除率为72.09%,脱色率为81.69%。通过动物实验,检测小鼠血清和肝组织中的过氧化氢酶(CAT)活力、丙二醛(MDA)含量、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活力可知,灌胃胞外多糖组的小鼠与对照组小鼠相比,抗氧化能力显著性提高。     

Use of Taiwanese ropy fermented milk (TRFM) and Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris isolated from TRFM in manufacturing of functional low-fat cheeses

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to manufacture new functional low‐fat cheeses using Taiwanese ropy fermented milk (TRFM) and Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris strains isolated from TRFM. After 28 d of ripening and storage, the viable populations of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in the low‐fat cheeses made with L. lactis subsp. cremoris TL1 (TL1), L. lactis subsp. cremoris TL4 (TL4), and TRFM still maintained above 10⁸ CFU/g. The low‐fat cheeses made with TL1 and TRFM showed higher moisture contents than the cheeses made with TL4, full‐fat, and low‐fat cheese controls. The low‐fat cheeses made with TL1 and TL4 had higher customer preferential scores similar to full‐fat cheese control in the sensory evaluation. Additionally, the low‐fat cheeses fermented with TL1, TL4, and TRFM for 4 h had higher 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical‐scavenging and ferrous ion‐chelating abilities than the cheeses fermented with the starters for 8 h, full‐fat, and low‐fat cheese controls. A better angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition activity was also observed in the low‐fat cheeses made with TL1, TL4, and TRFM than that in the full‐fat and low‐fat cheese controls during ripening and storage period. Practical Application: As health‐conscious consumers continue to seek low‐fat alternatives in their diets, there remain strong interests for the dairy industry to develop low‐fat cheeses to meet the demands. This study clearly demonstrated that the low‐fat cheeses fermented with TL1 for 4 h showed a better overall acceptability and possessed antioxidative abilities and ACE inhibitory activities than other cheeses tested in this study. By improving its flavor and investigating the possible mechanisms of its functionalities in the future, this low‐fat cheese might possibly be commercialized and give a positive impact on cheese consumption in the future.