BacteriaassignedtothegenusWeissellaareGram-positive,catalase-negative,non-endosporeformingcellswithcoccoidorrod-shapedmorphology(Collinsetal.,1993;Björkrothetal.,2009,2014)andbelongtothegroupofbacteriagenerallyknownaslacticacidbacteria.Phylogenetically,theWeissellabelongtotheFirmicutes,classBacilli,orderLactobacillalesandfamilyLeuconostocaceae(Collinsetal.,1993).Theyareobligatelyheterofermentative,producingCO2fromcarbohydratemetabolismwitheitherD(-)-,oramixtureofD(-)-andL(+)-lacticacidandaceticacidasmajorendproductsfromsugarmetabolism.Todate,thereare19validlydescribedWeissellaspeciesknown.Weissellaspp.havebeenisolatedfromandoccurinawiderangeofhabitats,e.g.,ontheskinandinthemilkandfecesofanimals,fromsaliva,breastmilk,fecesandvaginaofhumans,fromplantsandvegetables,aswellasfromavarietyoffermentedfoodssuchasEuropeansourdoughsandAsianandAfricantraditionalfermentedfoods.Thus,apartfromaperceivedtechnicalroleofcertainWeissellaspeciesinvolvedinsuchtraditionalfermentations,specificWeissellastrainsarealsoreceivingattentionaspotentialprobiotics,andstraindevelopmentofparticularlyW.cibariastrainsisreceivingattentionbecauseoftheirhighprobioticpotentialforcontrollingperiodontaldisease.Moreover,W.confusaandW.cibariastrainsareknowntoproducecopiusamountsofnovel,non-digestibleoligosaccharidesandextracellularpolysaccharides,mainlydextran.Thesepolymersarereceivingincreasedattentionfortheirpotentialapplicationasprebioticsandforawiderangeofindustrialapplications,predominantlyforbakeriesandfortheproductionofcereal-basedfermentedfunctionalbeverages.Onthedetrimentalside,strainsofcertainWeissellaspecies,e.g.,ofW.viridescens,W.cibariaandW.confusa,areknownasopportunisticpathogensinvolvedinhumaninfectionswhilestrainsofW.cetihavebeenrecentlyrecongnizedasetiologicalagentof"weissellosis,"whichisadiseaseaffectingfarmedrainbowtrouts.Bacteriabelongingtothisspeciesthusareimportantbothfromatechnological,aswellasfromamedicalpointofview,andbothaspectsshouldbetakenintoaccountinanyenvisagedbiotechnologicalapplications.

The genus Weissella: taxonomy, ecology and biotechnological potential.

Fusco V;Quero;G M;
2015

Abstract

BacteriaassignedtothegenusWeissellaareGram-positive,catalase-negative,non-endosporeformingcellswithcoccoidorrod-shapedmorphology(Collinsetal.,1993;Björkrothetal.,2009,2014)andbelongtothegroupofbacteriagenerallyknownaslacticacidbacteria.Phylogenetically,theWeissellabelongtotheFirmicutes,classBacilli,orderLactobacillalesandfamilyLeuconostocaceae(Collinsetal.,1993).Theyareobligatelyheterofermentative,producingCO2fromcarbohydratemetabolismwitheitherD(-)-,oramixtureofD(-)-andL(+)-lacticacidandaceticacidasmajorendproductsfromsugarmetabolism.Todate,thereare19validlydescribedWeissellaspeciesknown.Weissellaspp.havebeenisolatedfromandoccurinawiderangeofhabitats,e.g.,ontheskinandinthemilkandfecesofanimals,fromsaliva,breastmilk,fecesandvaginaofhumans,fromplantsandvegetables,aswellasfromavarietyoffermentedfoodssuchasEuropeansourdoughsandAsianandAfricantraditionalfermentedfoods.Thus,apartfromaperceivedtechnicalroleofcertainWeissellaspeciesinvolvedinsuchtraditionalfermentations,specificWeissellastrainsarealsoreceivingattentionaspotentialprobiotics,andstraindevelopmentofparticularlyW.cibariastrainsisreceivingattentionbecauseoftheirhighprobioticpotentialforcontrollingperiodontaldisease.Moreover,W.confusaandW.cibariastrainsareknowntoproducecopiusamountsofnovel,non-digestibleoligosaccharidesandextracellularpolysaccharides,mainlydextran.Thesepolymersarereceivingincreasedattentionfortheirpotentialapplicationasprebioticsandforawiderangeofindustrialapplications,predominantlyforbakeriesandfortheproductionofcereal-basedfermentedfunctionalbeverages.Onthedetrimentalside,strainsofcertainWeissellaspecies,e.g.,ofW.viridescens,W.cibariaandW.confusa,areknownasopportunisticpathogensinvolvedinhumaninfectionswhilestrainsofW.cetihavebeenrecentlyrecongnizedasetiologicalagentof"weissellosis,"whichisadiseaseaffectingfarmedrainbowtrouts.Bacteriabelongingtothisspeciesthusareimportantbothfromatechnological,aswellasfromamedicalpointofview,andbothaspectsshouldbetakenintoaccountinanyenvisagedbiotechnologicalapplications.
2015
Istituto di Scienze delle Produzioni Alimentari - ISPA
Istituto per le Risorse Biologiche e le Biotecnologie Marine - IRBIM
lacticacidbacteria
probiotic
prebiotic
bacteriocin
foodsafety
foodquality
fermented food
detection and typing
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14243/269978
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