Summary
Several strains of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis var. diacetylactis and Leuconostoc spp. were compared for product formation from citrate in milk cultures. Most strains produced acetoin and butanediol. Some strains derived from buffer starter cultures produced, in addition, α-acetolactate. Lactococcus lactis strain C17, which produced acetoin and butanediol but no α-acetolactate in culture, was compared physiologically with L. lactis strain Ru4, which produced only α-acetolactate. Activities of enzymes involved in citrate metabolism were almost identical in both strains, with the exception of α-acetolactate decarboxylase, which was missing in strain Ru4. The formation of α-acetolactate, acetoin and diacetyl was further analysed in cell-free extracts. α-Acetolactate synthase activity saturated at a high pyruvate concentration (100 mm). This is in agreement with the observed accumulation of pyruvate externally, and probably internally, during α-acetolactate, acetoin and butanediol production by L. lactis cells.
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Correspondence to: J. Hugenholtz
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Hugenholtz, J., Starrenburg, M.J.C. Diacetyl production by different strains of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis var. diacetylactis and Leuconostoc spp.. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 38, 17–22 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00169412
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00169412