Linking microbial community structure to functionality of a complex mesophilic dairy starter — ASN Events
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Linking microbial community structure to functionality of a complex mesophilic dairy starter (#28)

Eddy J. Smid 1
  1. Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

The community structure of a complex dairy starter culture was studied in detail. Seven distinct genetic lineages of Lactococcus lactis, one lineage of Leuconostoc mesenteroides and bacteriophages predating on the starter bacteria were found to co-exist in the functional culture (1, 2). Single colony isolates representing the genetic lineages were found to possess a variable plasmid content and phage sensitivity profiles. A beneficial effect of the bacteriophages on the compositional stability was demonstrated using multi-strain reconstituted cultures. Furthermore, the dynamics in relative abundance of specific genomic lineages of L. lactis and Lc. mesenteroides strains was monitored during cheese manufacturing (3). This allowed us to show the special functionality of each of the genetic lineages in the complex culture. Finally, long term starter culture propagation experiments will be discussed to demonstrate culture robustness in terms of culture composition and starter functionality.

  1. Erkus , O., V.C.L. de Jager, P.W. Janssen, I. van Alen-Boerigter, L. Hazelwood, I. Van Rijswijck, M. Spus, , S.A.F.T. van Hijum, M. Kleerebezem and E.J. Smid. 2013. Multifactorial diversity sustains microbial community stability. ISME J. 7: 2126-2136
  2. M. Spus, M, M. Li, S. Alexeeva, J.C.M. Wolkers-Rooijackers, M.H. Zwietering, T. Abee and E.J. Smid. 2015. Strain diversity and phage resistance in complex dairy starter cultures. J. Dairy Sci. in press.
  3. Smid, E.J., O. Erkus, M. Spus, J. C.M. Wolkers-Rooijackers, S. Alexeeva and M. Kleerebezem. 2014. Functional implications of the microbial community structure of undefined mesophilic starter cultures. Microbial Cell Factories 13(Suppl 1):S2.
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