Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Research Paper
  • Published:

Autolytic Lactococcus Lactis Expressing a Lactococcal Bacteriophage Lysin Gene

Bio/Technology volume 10, pages 196–199 (1992)Cite this article

Abstract

We report the expression of a cloned lysin gene of bacteriophase ØvML3 in dairy starter strains of the species Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis and L. lactis subsp. cremoris. Lactococcal strains, which are sensitive to lysin, were unaffected by its expression during exponential growth but lysed after reaching stationary phase in GM17 broth at 30°C. Lysis could be prevented by osmotic buffering of the medium with sucrose. When grown in milk to mimic dairy fermentations, L.lactis subsp. cremoris strains which expressed the lysin gene lost viability earlier than control strains even when stored at low temperature. This autolytic phenotype has the potential to be exploited in flavor acceleration strategies during cheese manufacture.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Davies, F.L., Underwood, H.M. and Gasson, M.J. 1981. The value of plasmid profiles for strain identification in lactic streptococci and the relationship between Streptococcus lactis 712, ML3 and C2. J. Appl. Bacteriol. 51: 327–337.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Shearman, C., Underwood, H., Jury, K. and Gasson, M. 1989. Cloning and DNA sequence analysis of a Lactococcus bacteriophage lysin gene. Mol. Gen. Genet. 218: 214–221.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Reiter, B. and Oram, J.D. 1963. Group N streptococcal phage lysin. J. Gen. Microbiol. 32: 29–32.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Oram, J.D. and Reiter, B. 1965. Phage-associated lysins affecting group N and group D streptococci. J. Gen. Microbiol. 40: 57–70.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. van der Lelie, D., Chavarri, F., Venema, G. and Gasson, M.J. 1991. Identification of a new genetic determinant for cell aggregation associated with lactose plasmid transfer in Lactococcus lactis . Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 57: 201–206.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Gasson, M.J. 1980. Production, regeneration and fusion of protoplasts in lactic streptococci. FEMS Micro. Letts. 9: 99–102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Lubitz, W., Harkness, R.E. and Ishiguro, E.E. 1984. Requirement for a functional host cell autolytic enzyme system for lysis of Escherichia coli by bacteriophage ØX174. J. Bacteriol. 159: 385–387.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Walderich, B., Ursinus-Wossner, A., van Duin, J. and Holtje, J.C. 1988. Induction of the autolytic system of Escherichia coli by specific insertion of bacteriophage MS2 lysis protein into the bacterial cell envelope. J. Bacteriol. 170: 5027–5033.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Holtje, J.V. and van Duin, J. 1984. MS2 phage induced lysis of E. coli depends upon the activity of the bacterial autolysins, 195–199. In: Microbial Cell Wall Synthesis and Autolysis. C. Nembela (Ed.). Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Ronda-Lain, C., Lopez, R., Tapia, A. and Tomasz, A. 1977. Role of the pneumonococcal autolysin (murein hydrolase) in the release of progeny bacteriophage and in the bacteriophage-induced lysis of the host cells. J. Virol. 21: 366–374.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Hill, J.E. and Wannamaker, L.W. 1981. Identification of a lysin associated with a bacteriophage (A25) virulent for Group A strepto cocci. J. Bacteriol. 145: 696–703.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  12. Sonstein, S.A., Hammel, J.M. and Bondi, A. 1971. Staphylococcal bacteriophage-associated lysin: a lytic agent active against Staphylococcus aureus . J. Bacteriol. 107: 499–504.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Garcia, P., Garcia, E., Ronda, C., Tomasz, A. and Lopez, R. 1983. Inhibition of lysis by antibody against phage-associated lysin and requirement of choline residues in the cell wall for progeny phage release in Streptococcus pneumoniae . Current Microbiol. 8: 137–140.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Gasson, M.J. 1983. Plasmid complements of Streptococcus lactis NCDO 712 and other lactic streptococci after protoplast-induced curing. J. Bacteriol. 154: 1–9.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. Terzaghi, B.E. and Sandine, W.E. 1975. Improved medium for lactic streptococci and their bacteriophages. Appl. Microbiol. 29: 807–813.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. Anderson, D.G. and McKay, L.L. 1983. A simple and rapid method for isolating large plasmid DNA from lactic streptococci. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 46: 549–552.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Powell, I.B., Achen, M.G., Hillier, A.J. and Davidson, B.E. 1988. A simple and rapid method for genetic transformation of lactic streptococci by electroporation. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 54: 655–660.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Michael J. Gasson: Corrsponding author.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. AFRC Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UA, U.K.

    Claire A. Shearman, Karen Jury & Michael J. Gasson

Authors
  1. Claire A. Shearman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Karen Jury
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Michael J. Gasson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Shearman, C., Jury, K. & Gasson, M. Autolytic Lactococcus Lactis Expressing a Lactococcal Bacteriophage Lysin Gene. Nat Biotechnol 10, 196–199 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0292-196

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0292-196

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing