Grana Padano cheese whey starters: Microbial composition and strain distribution

bThree Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris strains were used to develop ad hoc biofilms on the surfaces of virgin wooden vats used for cheese production. Two vats (TZ) were tested under controlled conditions (pilot plant), and two vats (TA) were tested under uncontrolled conditions (industrial plant). In each plant, one vat (TA1 and TZ1) was used for the control, traditional production of PDO Vastedda della Valle del Belìce (Vastedda) cheese, and one (TA2 and TZ2) was used for experimental production performed after lactococcal biofilm activation and the daily addition of a natural whey starter culture (NWSC). Microbiological and scanning electron microscopy analyses showed differences in terms of microbial levels and composition of the neoformed biofilms. The levels of the microbial groups investigated during cheese production showed significant differences between the control trials and between the control and experimental trials, but the differences were not particularly marked between the TA2 and TZ2 productions, which showed the largest numbers of mesophilic lactic acid bacterium (LAB) cocci. LAB populations were characterized phenotypically and genotypically, and 44 dominant strains belonging to 10 species were identified. Direct comparison of the polymorphic profiles of the LAB collected during cheese making showed that the addition of the NWSC reduced their biodiversity. Sensory evaluation showed that the microbial activation of the wooden vats with the multistrain Lactococcus culture generated cheeses with sensory attributes comparable to those of commercial cheese. Thus, neoformed biofilms enable a reduction of microbial variability and stabilize the sensorial attributes of Vastedda cheese.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial Activation of Wooden Vats Used for Traditional Cheese Production and Evolution of Neoformed Biofilms

Gaglio

Cruciata

Gerlando

et al. 2016

“…Surprisingly, no sequences of Lactobacillus helveticus bacteriophages are available, although this species has a recognized role in the starter cultures used for the production of Italian, French, and Swiss cheeses and is increasingly viewed as an emerging probiotic (10)(11)(12). Early studies on L. helveticus phages isolated from Emmental starters and cheese whey in French factories were carried out by Sozzi and Maret (13) and Séchaud et al (14).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of the Genome of the Dairy Lactobacillus helveticus Bacteriophage ΦAQ113

Zago

Scaltriti

Rossetti

et al. 2013

fThe complete genomic sequence of the dairy Lactobacillus helveticus bacteriophage ⌽AQ113 was determined. Phage ⌽AQ113 is a Myoviridae bacteriophage with an isometric capsid and a contractile tail. The final assembled consensus sequence revealed a linear, circularly permuted, double-stranded DNA genome with a size of 36,566 bp and a G؉C content of 37%. Fifty-six open reading frames (ORFs) were predicted, and a putative function was assigned to approximately 90% of them. The ⌽AQ113 genome shows functionally related genes clustered together in a genome structure composed of modules for DNA replication/regulation, DNA packaging, head and tail morphogenesis, cell lysis, and lysogeny. The identification of genes involved in the establishment of lysogeny indicates that it may have originated as a temperate phage, even if it was isolated from natural cheese whey starters as a virulent phage, because it is able to propagate in a sensitive host strain. Additionally, we discovered that the ⌽AQ113 phage genome is closely related to Lactobacillus gasseri phage KC5a and Lactobacillus johnsonii phage Lj771 genomes. The phylogenetic similarities between L. helveticus phage ⌽AQ113 and two phages that belong to gut species confirm a possible common ancestral origin and support the increasing consideration of L. helveticus as a health-promoting organism.

“…It is also commonly used in the production of different types of Italian cheeses, such as Parmigiano Reggiano (18) and Grana Padano, where it contributes to the formation of specific flavor compounds (42).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Crucial Role for Insertion Sequence Elements in Lactobacillus helveticus Evolution as Revealed by Interstrain Genomic Comparison

Kaleta

O’Callaghan

Fitzgerald

et al. 2010

Lactobacillus helveticus is a versatile dairy bacterium found to possess heterogeneous genotypes depending on the ecosystem from which it was isolated. The recently published genome sequence showed the remarkable flexibility of its structure, demonstrated by a substantial level of insertion sequence (IS) element expansion in association with massive gene decay. To assess this diversity and examine the level of genome plasticity within the L. helveticus species, an array-based comparative genome hybridization (aCGH) experiment was designed in which 10 strains were analyzed. The aCGH experiment revealed 16 clusters of open reading frames (ORFs) flanked by IS elements. Four of these ORFs are associated with restriction/modification which may have played a role in accelerated evolution of strains in a commercially intensive ecosystem undoubtedly challenged through successive phage attack. Furthermore, analysis of the IS-flanked clusters demonstrated that the most frequently encountered ISs were also those most abundant in the genome (IS1201, ISL2, ISLhe1, ISLhe2, ISLhe65, and ISLhe63). These findings contribute to the overall viewpoint of the versatile character of IS elements and the role they may play in bacterial genome plasticity.Lactobacillus helveticus is a gram-positive, homofermentative lactic acid bacterium which is widely used in the manufacture of cheeses, such as Swiss cheese and some Cheddar-type cheeses (22,25). It is also commonly used in the production of different types of Italian cheeses, such as Parmigiano Reggiano (18) and Grana Padano, where it contributes to the formation of specific flavor compounds (42).Phylogenetic analysis of ribosomal protein sequences derived from lactobacilli and streptococci classified L. helveticus in the same group along with both gastrointestinal (GI) tract and dairy-specific species (14). Comparative analysis of the 16S rRNA of L. helveticus DPC4571 revealed 98.4% identity with Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM and indicated that this probiotic strain was closely related to strain DPC4571, despite the different environments these two lactobacilli inhabit (4). The results of genomic analysis of L. helveticus suggested that two major events have occurred in the diversification process of L. helveticus from a common ancestor with L. acidophilus, selective gene loss and acquisition of a large number of insertion sequence (IS) elements (4). IS elements are DNA sequences capable of independent transposition within and between bacterial genomes (31). Their capacity for independent mobility demonstrates the parasitic nature of these elements (11); however, they can also be regarded as having a positive influence, as they assist in promoting genetic variation (1). Thus, even though the primal character of these elements remains unclear in that they may be considered simply as selfish DNA elements, their impact on the architecture of microbial genomes is undeniable. It has already been demonstrated that IS-related mutations occur in Escherichia coli (44), Lactococcus lactis (10)...