Lactobacillus divergens sp. nov., a New Heterofermentative Lactobacillus Species Producing L(+)-Lactate.

A group of 8 heterofermentative Lactobacillus strains were isolated from raw vacuum-packaged, as well as SO(2)-treated, minced beef, in the course of shelf life studies on this product. These strains were found to differ from all other described heterofermentative Lactobacillus species in their production of virtually pure L( + )-lactic acid from hexoses and pentoses, and also in their low mol% G + C in the DNA (34 ± 0.8% G + C). The m-Dpm type of peptidoglycan was typical of all strains. Their pattern of sugar metabolism seems to differ from the traditional HMP-pathway typical of the heterofermentative lactobacilli. The incorporation of these strains in a new species, Lactobacillus divergens sp. nov., is suggested. Copyright © 1983 Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart/New York. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.