Lactic acid bacteria : genetics, metabolism, and applications : proceedings of the sixth Symposium on Lactic Acid Bacteria: Genetics, Metabolism, and Applications, 19-23 September 1999, Veldhoven, The Netherlands

In ancient times foods fermented with lactic acid bacteria already constituted an important part of the human diet. From then on, lactic acid bacteria have played an essential role in the preservation of food raw materials and have contributed to the nutritional, organoleptic and health properties of human food products and animal feed. The important function that lactic acid bacteria still have in the production of foods all over the world has resulted in a growing scientific interest in these micro-organisms by academic research groups as well as by industry. During the last 15 years, this research has been stimulated by major internationally coordinated funding efforts that have resulted in a variety of important scientific breakthroughs and have led to new applications. Written by international experts in the field, this issue of __Antonie van____Leeuwenhoek__ documents these developments with respect to genetics, metabolism and the application of lactic acid bacteria for industrial and potential medical applications. In this book the first complete genome of a lactic acid bacterium is presented. The book will serve as a reference source and also as an indispensable source of information for further development and exploration of the field. Front Matter....Pages i-1 From DNA sequence to application: possibilities and complications....Pages 3-23 Front Matter....Pages 25-25 Low-redundancy sequencing of the entire Lactococcus lactis IL1403 genome....Pages 27-76 Group II introns and expression of conjugative transfer functions in lactic acid bacteria....Pages 77-88 Bacteriophage defence systems in lactic acid bacteria....Pages 89-113 Acquired antibiotic resistance in lactic acid bacteria from food....Pages 115-137 Multi-domain, cell-envelope proteinases of lactic acid bacteria....Pages 139-155 Front Matter....Pages 157-157 The biosynthesis and functionality of the cell-wall of lactic acid bacteria....Pages 159-184 Bacteriocins: mechanism of membrane insertion and pore formation....Pages 185-198 Intestinal microflora and the interaction with immunocompetent cells....Pages 199-205 Bioactive peptides encrypted in milk proteins: proteolytic activation and thropho-functional properties....Pages 207-215 Peptidases and amino acid catabolism in lactic acid bacteria....Pages 217-246 Sulfur metabolism in bacteria associated with cheese....Pages 247-261 Front Matter....Pages 263-263 Analysis of the intestinal microflora: a renaissance....Pages 265-278 Probiotics: from myth to reality. Demonstration of functionality in animal models of disease and in human clinical trials....Pages 279-292 Bringing a probiotic-containing functional food to the market: microbiological, product, regulatory and labeling issues....Pages 293-315 Lactic acid bacteria in the quality improvement and depreciation of wine....Pages 317-331 Front Matter....Pages 333-333 Overview on applications for bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria and their bacteriocins....Pages 335-335 Developing applications for lactococcal bacteriocins....Pages 337-346 Multidrug resistance in lactic acid bacteria: molecular mechanisms and clinical relevance....Pages 347-352 DNA-microarrays and food-biotechnology....Pages 353-355 Front Matter....Pages 333-333 Exopolysaccharides produced by Lactococcus lactis : from genetic engineering to improved rheological properties?....Pages 357-365 Anchoring of proteins to lactic acid bacteria....Pages 367-376 Applications of phage resistance in lactic acid bacteria....Pages 377-382 Immunomodulatory function of lactic acid bacteria....Pages 383-389 The role of lactic acid bacteria in colon cancer prevention: mechanistic considerations....Pages 391-394 Lactic acid food fermentation in tropical climates....Pages 395-401 Non-dairy lactic fermentations: the cereal world....Pages 403-411 Back Matter....Pages 413-413 In ancient times foods fermented with lactic acid bacteria already constituted an important part of the human diet. From then on, lactic acid bacteria have played an essential role in the preservation of food raw materials and have contributed to the nutritional, organoleptic and health properties of human food products and animal feed. The important function that lactic acid bacteria still have in the production of foods all over the world has resulted in a growing scientific interest in these micro-organisms by academic research groups as well as by industry. During the last 15 years, this research has been stimulated by major internationally coordinated funding efforts that have resulted in a variety of important scientific breakthroughs and have led to new applications. Written by international experts in the field, this issue of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek documents these developments with respect to genetics, metabolism and the application of lactic acid bacteria for industrial and potential medical applications. In this book the first complete genome of a lactic acid bacterium is presented. The book will serve as a reference source and also as an indispensable source of information for further development and exploration of the field. Proceedings of the Sixth Symposium on Lactic Acid Bacteria: Genetics, Metabolism and Applications 19-23 September 1999, Veldhoven, The Netherlands