A beta-glucosidase gene isolated from wine Lactobacillus plantarum is regulated by abiotic stresses.
OBJECTIVE
Little genetic information exists on the ability of wine lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to hydrolyse glycoconjugates during malolactic fermentation. We tried to fill this important gap by characterizing a gene codifying for a putative beta-glucosidase enzyme from wine Lactobacillus plantarum and from a commercial strain of Oenococcus oeni.


RESULTS
The coding region of the putative beta-glucosidase gene is 1400 nucleotides long and started with an ATG codon. The gene is widespread among LAB and the highest identity was observed between the nucleotide of L. plantarum, Lactobacillus pentosus, Lactobacillus paraplantarum and O. oenibeta-glucosidase gene. The protein sequence deduced from the isolated genes has a calculated molecular mass of 61.19 kDa. Furthermore, the expression of the beta-glucosidase gene in L. plantarum strain was analysed, under several stress, by reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR and Northern-blot analysis. The gene was apparently regulated by abiotic stresses such as temperature, ethanol and pH.


CONCLUSIONS
The beta-glucosidase gene is widespread among LAB and its expression is probably regulated by a wide range of abiotic stresses.


CONCLUSIONS
The inhibitory effect of temperature and ethanol on the L. plantarumbeta-glucosidase gene may be useful to explain the differences found in beta-glucosidase activity reported in wines by several authors.
Spano
G
G
Department of Food Science, Foggia University, via Napoli 25, 71100 Foggia, Italy. g.spano@unifg.it
Rinaldi
A
A
Ugliano
M
M
Moio
L
L
Beneduce
L
L
Massa
S
S
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular / Q000379:methods; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005516:Food Microbiology; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D006095:Gram-Positive Cocci / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D048191:Lactiplantibacillus plantarum / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D010376:Pediococcus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D014920:Wine / Q000382:microbiology*; D001617:beta-Glucosidase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D001617:beta-Glucosidase