title: Spontaneous mutations changing the raffinose metabolism of Lactobacillus plantarum.
abstract: Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 grew poorly on raffinose agar plates, but large mutant colonies appeared in high frequency from a thin film of background growth. The alpha-galactosidase and beta-galactosidase activities of L. plantarum ATCC 8014 and a mutant strain were studied in static cultures and pH-controlled fermenter cultures. Both alpha-galactosidase and beta-galactosidase production were inducible in the parental strain; the induction was not needed in the mutant. The alpha-galactosidase activity of both strains was repressed by glucose but not by alpha-methyl-D-glucoside. The mutant phenomenon might be an obstacle in connection to traditional Lactobacillus identification by means of carbohydrate fermentation.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Applied Microbiology, Chemical Center, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahrné
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Molin
mesh_terms: D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003470:Culture Media; D004790:Enzyme Induction; D004794:Enzyme Repression; D005285:Fermentation; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D011887:Raffinose / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000519:alpha-Galactosidase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D000519:alpha-Galactosidase; D001616:beta-Galactosidase; D005947:Glucose; D011887:Raffinose