The role of transport processes in survival of lactic acid bacteria: energy transduction and multidrug resistance

• Published in: Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek [ANTONIE VAN LEEUWENHOEK]. Vol. 71, no. 1-2. Feb 1997 Vol. 71; no. 1-2; pp. 117 - 128
• Main Authors: Konings, W N, Lolkema, J S, Bolhuis, H, van Veen, H W, Poolman, B, Driessen, A J
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Springer Nature B.V 01.02.1997
• Subjects: alimentos; Anions; Antiport; ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters - metabolism; Bacteria; bacterias acidolacticas; bacterie lactique; Biological Transport; Citric acid; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Drug Resistance, Multiple; Energy Metabolism; Energy transduction; Excretion; fermentacion; Fermentation; Fermented food; Food processing; foods; Histamine; Histidine; Hydrogen; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Lactic acid; Lactic Acid - metabolism; Lactic acid bacteria; Lactobacillus - metabolism; Lactococcus lactis; Lactococcus lactis - drug effects; Lactococcus lactis - metabolism; Leuconostoc - metabolism; Leuconostoc oenos; Metabolism; metabolisme; metabolismo; Microbiology; Multidrug resistance; pH effects; Phosphorylation; produit alimentaire; Protons; Structure-function relationships; Survival; Symport; Toxins; Transport processes
• ISSN: 0003-6072; 1572-9699
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1000143525601

Lactic acid bacteria play an essential role in many food fermentation processes. They are anaerobic organisms which obtain their metabolic energy by substrate phosphorylation. In addition three secondary energy transducing processes can contribute to the generation of a proton motive force: proton/substrate symport as in lactic acid excretion, electrogenic precursor/product exchange as in malolactic and citrolactic fermentation and histidine/histamine exchange, and electrogenic uniport as in malate and citrate uptake in Leuconostoc oenos. In several of these processes additional H+ consumption occurs during metabolism leading to the generation of a pH gradient, internally alkaline. Lactic acid bacteria have also developed multidrug resistance systems. In Lactococcus lactis three toxin excretion systems have been characterized: cationic toxins can be excreted by a toxin/proton antiport system and by an ABC-transporter. This cationic ABC-transporter has surprisingly high structural and functional analogy with the human MDR1-(P-glycoprotein). For anions an ATP-driven ABC-like excretion systems exist.