title: Detection of Leuconostoc strains at a meat processing plant using polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: To simplify the labor-intensive conventional routine testing of samples to detect Leuconostoc at a meat processing plant, we developed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers specific for Leuconostoc from 16S rRNA gene sequences. These primers did not detect other common lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus plantarum, Lact. sake, Lact. fermentum, Lact. acidophilus and Weissella viridescens. PCR with this primer detected all Leuconostoc species tested (Leu. mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides, Leu. pseudomesenteroides, Leu. carnosum, Leu. lactic, Leu. citreum, Leu. amelibiosum, Leu. gelidum), except for Leu. fallax, and no other lactic acid bacteria on agarose gel electrophoresis. The method could identify areas contaminated with Leuconostoc in a large-scale industrial meat processing plant. Of 69 samples analyzed, 34 were positive for Leuconostoc according to the conventional culture method (isolation of LAB producing dextran) and PCR, whereas 29 were negative according to both. Six samples were culture-negative but positive by PCR. No false negative results were generated by PCR. The method is rapid and simple, is useful for routinely monitoring areas contaminated with Leuconostoc in meat processing plants, and could help to prevent the spoilage of meat products.
authors.affiliation: Product Technical Research Center, Nippon Meat Packers Inc.: 350-3, Ohata, Yoshida, Haibara, Shizuoka 421-0305, Japan.
authors.forename: Seitaro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.forename: Bon
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Tateo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Miki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakatsuji
authors.forename: Itaru
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D017931:DNA Primers; D005506:Food Contamination; D007934:Leuconostoc / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008462:Meat-Packing Industry; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers