Leuconostocaceae
Encyclopedia
The Leuconostocaceae is a family of Gram-positive
bacteria
, placed within the order of Lactobacillales
. Representative genera include Leuconostoc
, Oenococcus
and Weissella
. Bacteria that belongs to these three genera are Gram-positive, non-spore-forming, round or elongated in shape, are anaerobic or aerotolerant. They usually inhabit nutrient-rich environments such as milk, meat, vegetable products and fermented drinks (Björkroth & Holzapfel, 2006). Lactic acid is the main end product of their characteristic heterofermentative carbohydrate metabolism. The phylogeny of the family of Leuconostocaceae has recently been evaluated by Chelo et al., 2007
Gram-positive
Gram-positive bacteria are those that are stained dark blue or violet by Gram staining. This is in contrast to Gram-negative bacteria, which cannot retain the crystal violet stain, instead taking up the counterstain and appearing red or pink...
bacteria
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
, placed within the order of Lactobacillales
Lactobacillales
The Lactobacillales are an order of Gram-positive bacteria that comprise the lactic acid bacteria. They are widespread in nature, and are found in soil, water, plants and animals. They are widely used in the production of fermented foods, including dairy products such as yogurt, cheese, butter,...
. Representative genera include Leuconostoc
Leuconostoc
Leuconostoc is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria, placed within the family of Leuconostocaceae. They are generally ovoid cocci often forming chains. Leuconostoc spp. are intrinsically resistant to vancomycin and are catalase-negative . All species within this genus are heterofermentative and are...
, Oenococcus
Oenococcus
Oenococcus is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria, placed within the family of Leuconostocaceae. The only species in the genus used to be Oenococcus oeni . In 2006, the species Oenococcus kitaharae was identified...
and Weissella
Weissella
Weissella is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria, placed within the family of Leuconostocaceae. The morphology of weissellas varies from spherical or lenticular cells to irregular rods.-External links:**...
. Bacteria that belongs to these three genera are Gram-positive, non-spore-forming, round or elongated in shape, are anaerobic or aerotolerant. They usually inhabit nutrient-rich environments such as milk, meat, vegetable products and fermented drinks (Björkroth & Holzapfel, 2006). Lactic acid is the main end product of their characteristic heterofermentative carbohydrate metabolism. The phylogeny of the family of Leuconostocaceae has recently been evaluated by Chelo et al., 2007