Harnessing the metabolic potential of Streptococcus thermophilus for new biotechnological applications.

Sofia Markakiou, Paula Gaspar, Eric Johansen, Ahmad A Zeidan, Ana Rute Neves

Journal: Current opinion in biotechnology 2020;61():142-152

PMID: 31945498

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Abstract

Streptococcus thermophilus is a microorganism extensively used in cheese and yogurt fermentation. Its economic value, combined with an increasing demand for novel starter cultures with improved functionality, foster numerous research efforts to unravel key aspects of S. thermophilus physiology. Several phenotypic traits are linked to industrial applications. These include sugar metabolism, proteolysis and the production of important metabolites such as acetaldehyde, exopolysaccharides, and vitamins, which affect the organoleptic properties of fermented foods and protocooperation with Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus. The advent of new molecular tools including a genome editing toolbox facilitates engineering S. thermophilus for physiological studies as well as generating strains with improved technological and/or functional characteristics.

Address: Bacterial Physiology, Discovery, Chr. Hansen A/S, Bøge Allé 10-12, 2970 Hørsholm, Denmark.; Emerging Technologies, Research and Development, Chr. Hansen A/S, Bøge Allé 10-12, 2970 Hørsholm, Denmark. Electronic address: [email protected].

DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2019.12.019

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MeSH Terms: Biotechnology, Fermentation, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Streptococcus thermophilus, Yogurt