Major role of NAD-dependent lactate dehydrogenases in aerobic lactate utilization in Lactobacillus plantarum during early stationary phase.

NAD-independent lactate dehydrogenases are commonly thought to be responsible for lactate utilization during the stationary phase of aerobic growth in Lactobacillus plantarum. To substantiate this view, we constructed single and double knockout mutants for the corresponding genes, loxD and loxL. Lactate-to-acetate conversion was not impaired in these strains, while it was completely blocked in mutants deficient in NAD-dependent lactate dehydrogenase activities, encoded by the ldhD and ldhL genes. We conclude that NAD-dependent but not NAD-independent lactate dehydrogenases are involved in this process.