Potential osmoprotectants for the lactic acid bacteria Pediococcus pentosaceus and Tetragenococcus halophila

• Published in: International journal of food microbiology 2003-07, Vol.84 (1), p.13-20
• Main Authors: Baliarda, Aurélie, Robert, Hervé, Jebbar, Mohamed, Blanco, Carlos, Deschamps, Alain, Le Marrec, Claire
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation, Physiological; Betaine; Betaine - metabolism; Betaine - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Carnitine; Carnitine - pharmacology; Choline; Choline - pharmacology; Ectoine; Food industries; Food Microbiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glycine betaine; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Life Sciences; Microbiology and Parasitology; Osmolar Concentration; Osmotic Pressure; Osmotic stress; Pediococcus; Pediococcus - drug effects; Pediococcus - growth & development; Pediococcus - physiology; Proline; Proline - metabolism; Proline - pharmacology; Sodium Chloride; Sodium Chloride - pharmacology; Sulfonium Compounds; Sulfonium Compounds - pharmacology
• ISSN: 0168-1605; 1879-3460
• DOI: 10.1016/S0168-1605(02)00388-4

The physiological responses of the lactic acid bacteria Pediococcus pentosaceus and Tetragenococcus halophila (formely known as P. halophila), subjected to osmotic stress in the presence of molecules known to act as osmoprotectants for other bacteria were studied. In a defined medium, glycine betaine, dimethylsulfonioacetate, choline, proline and l-carnitine were able to relieve inhibition of growth at 0.8 M NaCl. The five compounds were shown to efficiently compete with glycine betaine transport, suggesting the existence of common transporter(s) for these molecules. T. halophila, the most tolerant strain, exhibited a larger spectrum of compatible solutes including dimethylsulfonioacetate, dimethylsulfoniopropionate and ectoine. Preliminary data suggest that restoration of growth by ectoine under osmotic constraint seems specific to the genus Tetragenococcus.