''Leuconostoc'' is a genus of gram-positive

bacteria Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among ...

, placed within the family of

Lactobacillaceae The ''Lactobacillaceae'' are a family of lactic acid bacteria. It is the only family in the lactic acid bacteria which includes homofermentative and heterofermentative organisms; in the ''Lactobacillaceae,'' the pathway used for hexose fermentati ...

. They are generally ovoid cocci often forming chains. ''Leuconostoc'' spp. are intrinsically resistant to

vancomycin Vancomycin is a glycopeptide antibiotic medication used to treat a number of bacterial infections. It is recommended intravenously as a treatment for complicated skin infections, bloodstream infections, endocarditis, bone and joint infections, ...

and are

catalase Catalase is a common enzyme found in nearly all living organisms exposed to oxygen (such as bacteria, plants, and animals) which catalyzes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen. It is a very important enzyme in protecting t ...

-negative (which distinguishes them from staphylococci). All species within this genus are

heterofermentative Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food ...

and are able to produce

dextran Dextran is a complex branched glucan (polysaccharide derived from the condensation of glucose), originally derived from wine. IUPAC defines dextrans as "Branched poly-α-d-glucosides of microbial origin having glycosidic bonds predominantly C-1 ...

from

sucrose Sucrose, a disaccharide, is a sugar composed of glucose and fructose subunits. It is produced naturally in plants and is the main constituent of white sugar. It has the molecular formula . For human consumption, sucrose is extracted and refined ...

. They are generally slime-forming. Blamed for causing the 'stink' when creating a

sourdough starter Sourdough or sourdough bread is a bread made by the fermentation of dough using wild lactobacillaceae and yeast. Lactic acid from fermentation imparts a sour taste and improves keeping qualities. History In the ''Encyclopedia of Food Microbio ...

, some species are also capable of causing human infection. Because they are an uncommon cause of disease in humans, standard commercial identification kits are often unable to identify the organism. ''Leuconostoc'' spp., along with other lactic acid bacteria such as '' Pediococcus'' and '' Lactobacillus'', are responsible for the

fermentation Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food ...

cabbage Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of ''Brassica oleracea'', is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage ( ''B.&nb ...

, making it

sauerkraut Sauerkraut (; , "sour cabbage") is finely cut raw cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. It has a long shelf life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid formed when the bacteria ferme ...

. In this process, fresh cabbage is fermented in a light

brine Brine is a high-concentration solution of salt (NaCl) in water (H2O). In diverse contexts, ''brine'' may refer to the salt solutions ranging from about 3.5% (a typical concentration of seawater, on the lower end of that of solutions used for br ...

, where the sugars in the cabbage are transformed by lactofermentation to

lactic acid Lactic acid is an organic acid. It has a molecular formula . It is white in the solid state and it is miscible with water. When in the dissolved state, it forms a colorless solution. Production includes both artificial synthesis as well as natu ...

which gives the cabbage a sour flavour and good keeping qualities. ''Leuconostoc'' spp. are similarly part of the symbiotic colonies of bacteria and yeast ( SCOBY) involved in the fermentation of kefir, a fermented milk beverage and kombucha, a fermented tea.

Species

The genus ''Leuconostoc'' comprises the following species: * ''

Leuconostoc carnosum ''Leuconostoc carnosum'' is a lactic acid bacterium; its type strain is NCFB 2776. Its genome has been sequenced. Its name derives from the fact that it was first isolated from chill-stored meats. Its significance is that it thrives in anaerobic ...

'' Shaw and Harding 1989 * '' Leuconostoc citreum'' Farrow ''et al''. 1989 * '' Leuconostoc falkenbergense'' Wu and Gu 2021 * '' Leuconostoc fallax'' Martinez-Murcia and Collins 1992 * "''Leuconostoc garlicum''" Kim ''et al''. 2002 * ''

Leuconostoc gelidum Leuconostoc gelidum is a Gram-positive lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillales are an order of gram-positive, low-GC, acid-tolerant, generally nonsporulating, nonrespiring, either rod-shaped (bacilli) or spherical (cocci) bacteria that share ...

'' Shaw and Harding 1989 * '' Leuconostoc holzapfelii'' De Bruyne ''et al''. 2007 * '' Leuconostoc inhae'' Kim ''et al''. 2003 * '' Leuconostoc kimchii'' Kim ''et al''. 2000 * ''

Leuconostoc lactis ''Leuconostoc'' is a genus of gram-positive bacteria, placed within the family of Lactobacillaceae. They are generally ovoid cocci often forming chains. ''Leuconostoc'' spp. are intrinsically resistant to vancomycin and are catalase-negative (wh ...

'' Garvie 1960 (Approved Lists 1980) * '' Leuconostoc litchii'' Chen ''et al''. 2020 * '' Leuconostoc mesenteroides'' (Tsenkovskii 1878) van Tieghem 1878 (Approved Lists 1980) * '' Leuconostoc miyukkimchii'' Lee ''et al''. 2012 * '' Leuconostoc palmae'' Ehrmann ''et al''. 2009 * ''

Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides ''Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides'' is an intrinsically vancomycin- resistant, Gram-positive In bacteriology, gram-positive bacteria are bacteria that give a positive result in the Gram stain test, which is traditionally used to quickly class ...

'' Farrow ''et al''. 1989 * '' Leuconostoc rapi'' Lyhs ''et al''. 2015 * '' Leuconostoc suionicum'' (Gu ''et al''. 2012) Jeon ''et al''. 2017

''Leuconostoc citrovorum''

The name ''Leuconostoc citrovorum'' (Hammer) Hucker and Pederson 1931 was rejected in 1971 as a ''

nomen dubium In binomial nomenclature, a ''nomen dubium'' (Latin for "doubtful name", plural ''nomina dubia'') is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application. Zoology In case of a ''nomen dubium'' it may be impossible to determine whether a s ...

'' by the Judicial Commission of

International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes The International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes (ICSP), formerly the International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology (ICSB), is the body that oversees the nomenclature of prokaryotes, determines the rules by which prokaryotes are named ...

(in Opinion 45).

Phylogeny

The currently accepted taxonomy is based on the List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature and the phylogeny is based on whole-genome sequences.

References

External links

List of species of the genus ''Leuconostoc''

''Leuconostoc''
MicrobeWiki Lactobacillaceae Garde manger Bacteria used in dairy products Bacteria genera {{lactobacilli-stub