title: Phage-Host Interactions of Cheese-Making Lactic Acid Bacteria.
abstract: Cheese production is a global biotechnological practice that is reliant on robust and technologically appropriate starter and adjunct starter cultures to acidify the milk and impart particular flavor and textural properties to specific cheeses. To this end, lactic acid bacteria, including Lactococcus lactis, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Lactobacillus and Leuconostoc spp., are routinely employed. However, these bacteria are susceptible to infection by (bacterio)phages. Over the past decade in particular, significant advances have been achieved in defining the receptor molecules presented by lactococcal host bacteria and in the structural analysis of corresponding phage-encoded receptor-binding proteins. These lactococcal model systems are expanding toward understanding phage-host interactions of other LAB species. Ultimately, such scientific efforts will uncover the mechanistic (dis)similarities among these phages and define how these phages recognize and infect their hosts. This review presents the current status of the LAB-phage interactome, highlighting the most recent and significant developments in this active research field.
authors.affiliation: School of Microbiology;
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mahony
authors.affiliation: School of Microbiology;
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McDonnell
authors.affiliation: School of Microbiology;
authors.forename: Eoghan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Casey
authors.affiliation: School of Microbiology;|APC Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, Western Road, Cork, Ireland; email: d.vansinderen@ucc.ie.
authors.forename: Douwe
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van Sinderen
mesh_terms: D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D002611:Cheese / Q000382:microbiology*; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods; D056546:Lactobacillales / Q000821:virology*; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000821:virology; D013294:Lactococcus lactis / Q000821:virology; D007934:Leuconostoc / Q000821:virology; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D048249:Streptococcus thermophilus / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial
keywords: cell wall polysaccharides; dairy fermentation; infection; receptor; resistance; teichoic acid