Expression analysis of putative arcA, arcB and arcC genes partially cloned from Lactobacillus plantarum isolated from wine.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this paper was to study if homofermentative strains (Lacobacillus plantarum) capable of malolactic fermentation in wine can degrade arginine via the ADI pathway.


RESULTS
Homofermentative lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from a typical red wine were investigated for their ability to produce citrulline. Citrulline was formed suggesting that the arginine metabolism takes place via the arginine deiminase (ADI) pathway and not via the arginase/urease pathway. Ammonia was also detected with Nessler's reagent, and all the strains examined were able to produce ammonia. Identification of homofermentative LAB was performed using 16S ribosomal sequence analysis. The strains were further classified as belonging to L. plantarum species. Furthermore, the genes encoding for the three pathway enzymes (ADI, ornithine transcarbamylase, carbamate kinase) were partially cloned and gene expression was performed at two different pH values (3.6 and 4.5).


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that citrulline production in wine, could be performed by homofermentative LAB.


CONCLUSIONS
Homofermentative malolactic bacteria (L. plantarum) may degrade arginine through the ADI pathway.
Spano
G
G
Department of Food Science, Foggia University, Foggia, Italy. g.spano@unifg.it
Chieppa
G
G
Beneduce
L
L
Massa
S
S
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000641:Ammonia / Q000378:metabolism; D001120:Arginine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002956:Citrulline / Q000096:biosynthesis; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D005285:Fermentation; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014920:Wine / Q000382:microbiology*
D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C041610:arcA protein, E coli; D002956:Citrulline; D000641:Ammonia; D001120:Arginine; D011494:Protein Kinases; C065271:arcB protein, E coli