The genus Weissella: taxonomy, ecology and biotechnological potential.
Fusco; V.*; Quero; G.M.; Cho; G.; Kabisch; J.; Meske; D.; Neve; H.; Bockelmann; W. Franz; C.M.P..A.;
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 - Articolo in rivista
Frontiers in microbiology 6 (2015). doi:10.3389/fmicb.2015.00155
Keywords: lacticacidbacteria, probiotic, prebiotic, bacteriocin, foodsafety, foodquality, fermented food, detection and typing