FEMS MicrobiologyLetters 67 (19YO) 9-14 9 Published by Elsevier FEMSLE ~ 8 ~ Differentiation of Leuconostoc species by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent ~ - )-lactic dehydrogenase profiles L.M.T. Dicks and H.J.J. Van Vuuren Depatan~nt of Microbiology. University of Stelleabc~ch. Stellenb~-cb 7600. Republic of South Africa Received 6 September 1989 Accepted 27 September 1989 Key words: Leuconostoc oenos; Lactic dehydrogenase: Characterization 1. SUMMARY The electrophoretic mobility of the D(-)- nLDH's of Leucanostoc ocnos (nine strains), Leueonostoc mesenteroides subsp, mesenteroides (one strain), Leucoaostoc mesenteroides sabsp, de- xtranicum (one strain), Leuconostoc lactis (three strains), Leuconostoc paramesenteroides (two strains) and a Lcuconostoc sp. were compared using conventional and stacked polyacrylamide gels. A single diffused D(-)-nLDH band was obtained for each strain on a 7% acrylamide gel. However, several well defined ~ - )-nLDH bands were obtain~,d for each strain when a polyacryla- mide stacked gel was used. Based on D( -- )-nLDH profiles, strains of L. ocnos were divided into two subgroups. The overall D(-)-nLDH profiles of strains of L oenos were different from those oL- rained for the non-acidophilic Leuconostoc spp. Leueonostoc mesenteroides subsp, mesenteroides and L mesenteroides subsp, dextranieum had sim- ilar D( -- )-nLDH profiles. The overall D( -- )-nLDH profiles of /~ lactis corresponded well. Different Correspondence Io: L.M.T. Dicks, Department of Microbi- ology. Unlv~rsityo[ ~tellenbosch, Stellenbosch 7600, Republic of South Africa. D(-)-nLDH profiles were obtained for L. parantesenteroides DSM 20201 and the type strain of L. paramesenteroides (DSM 20288r). The ~-)-nLDH profile of Leuconostoc sp. ATCC 21436 corresponded well with the profile obtained for the D(-)-nLDH electrophoretic marker of Lactobacillus leichmannii. 2. INTRODUCTION Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) electrophoretic patterns have been used extensively for the classi- fication of various strains of Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Pediococcus, Bifido- bacterium, Aerobacter, Enterobacteriaceae, Acelo- batter, Pseudomonas. Propionibacterium, Staphylococcus, Acholeplasma, Mycoplusma, Bacil- lus, Clostridium, Butyrivibrio. Selenomonas, Actinomyces and Rothia [1]. Heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria (Leuco- nostoc and Lactobacillus group Ill) are dis- tinguished from homofermentative lactobacilli (groups I and if) by the conversion of one-half of each glucose molecule to lactate and the other half to carbon dioxide, acetate, and/or ethanol [1]. Enzymes of the Embden Meyerhof pathway are present in heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria 0378-1097/90/$03.50 © 1990 Federation of European Microbiological Societies Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/femsle/article-abstract/67/1-2/9/627049 by guest on 23 May 2020