title: Comparison and evaluation of molecular methods used for identification and discrimination of lactic acid bacteria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains are present in a great variety of habitats, including fermented products, probiotic concoctions and the human colon. Some species are so closely related that it is difficult to distinguish them by microbiological techniques. Nevertheless, discrimination of isolates is an important issue in respect of application, and molecular methods such as restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) or species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) might help in resolving this problem. In this study, PCR, RFLP and sequencing were applied to identify lactobacilli and bifidobacteria originating from various sources and the DSMZ strain collection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The microbiological composition of foods was analysed by molecular methods. Using species-specific PCR primers, three restriction enzymes (AluI, HhaI and RsaI) and sequencing, three Bifidobacterium and six Lactobacillus reference strains could be distinguished and four additional lactobacilli of food origin were identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A combination of three molecular methods resulted in successful discrimination of nine reference strains and four isolates of food origin. Since these methods are not always accurate owing to their high genetic homogeneity, it is advisable to use more than one method for the identification of L. casei and closely related species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Food Technology, Eszterházy Károly College, Eger, Hungary. karoly.pal@ektf.hu
authors.forename: Károly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pál
authors.forename: Orsolya
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Szén
authors.forename: Attila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kiss
authors.forename: Zoltán
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Naár
mesh_terms: D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D005504:Food Analysis; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D058889:Molecular Typing / Q000379:methods*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D015183:Restriction Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000379:methods*; D013045:Species Specificity