Molecular taxonomy of Lactobacillus phages.

Forty-eight strains of lactobacilli used as starter strains in the dairy industry were examined for lysogeny after treatment with mitomycin C. Two strains of L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus were able to produce active phages. These temperate phages as well as 4 virulent phages isolated during abnormal fermentations were compared to a previously characterized phage mv4 which is temperate. All these phages were shown to be partially homologous by DNA-DNA hybridization. Genes that code for viral proteins seem to be well conserved since 2 major virion polypeptides of 18 (or 19) kD and 34 kD could be detected in the protein composition of each phage. Immunoblotting studies of the 7 phages using serum raised against phage mv4 confirmed that the proteins of the different phages were related. All these phages can be classified in the previously constituted group a, which now comprises 4 temperate and 15 virulent phages. These results show that some virulent phages appearing during abnormal fermentations and some temperate phages isolated by appearing during abnormal fermentations and some temperate phages isolated by induction of starter strains can be closely related genetically. Five virulent phages of L. helveticus were also compared according to their restriction pattern and their DNA homology. They were shown to be related to one another, but unrelated to phages of other lactic acid bacteria species.