title: Polyphasic characterization of the lactic acid bacteria in kefir.
abstract: The lactic acid bacteria of kefir were isolated and characterized using phenotypical, biochemical, and genotypical methods. Polyphasic analyses of results permitted the identification of the microflora to the strain level. The genus Lactobacillus was represented by the species Lb. kefir and Lb. kefiranofaciens. Both subspecies of Lactococcus lactis (lactis and cremoris) were isolated. Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris was also found. The kefir studied contained few species of lactic acid bacteria but showed a high number of different strains. We found that the polyphasic analysis approach increases the confidence in strain determination. It helped confirm strain groupings and it showed that it could have an impact on the phylogeny of the strains.
authors.affiliation: Food Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 3600, Boulevard Casavant West, St.-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada J2S 8E3.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mainville
authors.forename: Normand
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Robert
authors.forename: Byong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Edward R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Farnworth
mesh_terms: D043302:Cultured Milk Products / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005516:Food Microbiology; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D017045:Lactococcus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D007934:Leuconostoc / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D010957:Plasmids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D021521:Ribotyping; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S