title: Numerical taxonomy and identification of lactic acid bacteria from spoiled, vacuum-packaged vienna sausages.
abstract: Sixty-one lactic acid bacteria from spoiled vacuum-packaged vienna sausages and 15 reference strains were tested for 72 phenotypic characteristics. An identification key and a computer data base, both specific for lactic acid bacteria from meat sources, were used for identification and the results were compared. There was a high correlation (86.9%) between the two procedures in the identification of strains to genus level. However, only a 54.8% correlation was obtained in identifying strains to the species level. With numerical taxonomy (Ssm matching coefficient with average linkage clustering) 60 strains were recovered in six clusters at the 89% similarity level. While most Leuconostoc strains clustered separately from the Lactobacillus strains, the identity of many leuconostocs was not clarified. The presence of a heterogeneous cluster containing typical and 'atypical' strains of the Lactobacillus saké/curvatus group and a separate homogeneous Lact. curvatus cluster was noted. Closer examination of the data suggested that the 'atypical' lactobacilli were all strains of Lact. saké.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Dykes
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Britz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: von Holy
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D005506:Food Contamination; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005519:Food Preservation; D007773:Lactates / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019344:Lactic Acid; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D007934:Leuconostoc / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D008461:Meat Products / Q000382:microbiology*; D014618:Vacuum
chemical_list: D007773:Lactates; D019344:Lactic Acid