Natural DNA Transformation Is Functional in Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris KW2.

ABSTRACT: Lactococcus lactis is one of the most commonly used lactic acid bacteria in the dairy industry. Activation of competence for natural DNA transformation in this species would greatly improve the selection of novel strains with desired genetic traits. Here, we investigated the activation of natural transformation in L. lactis subsp. cremoris KW2, a strain of plant origin whose genome encodes the master competence regulator ComX and the complete set of proteins usually required for natural transformation. In the absence of knowledge about competence regulation in this species, we constitutively overproduced ComX in a reporter strain of late competence phase activation and showed, by transcriptomic analyses, a ComX-dependent induction of all key competence genes. We furthe

SUBMITTER: David B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5541205 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature