title: Polyol production during heterofermentative growth of the plant isolate Lactobacillus florum 2F.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the fermentative growth and polyol production of Lactobacillus florum and other plant-associated lactic acid bacteria (LAB).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sugar consumption and end-product production were measured for Lact. florum 2F in the presence of fructose, glucose and both sugars combined. The genome of Lact. florum was examined for genes required for mannitol and erythritol biosynthesis. The capacity for other plant-associated LAB to synthesize polyols was also assessed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lactobacillus florum exhibited higher growth rates and cell yields in the presence of both fructose and glucose. Lactobacillus florum 2F produced lactate, acetate and ethanol as well as erythritol and mannitol. Lactobacillus florum 2F synthesized mannitol during growth on fructose and erythritol during growth on glucose. Gene and protein homology searches identified a mannitol dehydrogenase in the Lact. florum 2F genome but not the genes responsible for erythritol biosynthesis. Lastly, we found that numerous other heterofermentative LAB species synthesize erythritol and/or mannitol.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lactobacillus florum is a recently identified, plant-associated, fructophilic LAB species. Our results show that Lact. florum growth rates and heterofermentation end-products differ depending on the sugar substrates present and growth yields can be improved when combinations of sugars are provided. Lactobacillus florum 2F produces erythritol and mannitol, two polyols that are relevant to foods and potentially also in plant environments. The capacity for polyol biosynthesis appears to be common among plant-associated, LAB species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science & Technology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Tyler
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science & Technology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kopit
authors.affiliation: Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Doyle
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science & Technology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Swammerdam Institute of Life Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hugenholtz
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science & Technology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Marco
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004896:Erythritol / Q000378:metabolism; D005285:Fermentation; D005632:Fructose / Q000378:metabolism; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D008353:Mannitol / Q000378:metabolism; D011108:Polymers / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; C024617:polyol; D005632:Fructose; D019344:Lactic Acid; D008353:Mannitol; D005947:Glucose; D004896:Erythritol
keywords: Lactobacillus; ecology; fermented foods; lactic acid bacteria; metabolism