Lactic Acid Bacteria: Genetics, Metabolism and Applications

From DNA sequence to application: possibilities and complications.- Genetics.- Low-redundancy sequencing of the entire Lactococcuslactis IL1403 genome.- Group II introns and expression of conjugative transfer functions in lactic acid bacteria.- Bacteriophage defence systems in lactic acid bacteria.- Acquired antibiotic resistance in lactic acid bacteria from food.- Multi-domain, cell-envelope proteinases of lactic acid bacteria.- Metabolism.- The biosynthesis and functionality of the cell-wall of lactic acid bacteria.- Bacteriocins: mechanism of membrane insertion and pore formation.- Intestinal microflora and the interaction with immunocompetent cells.- Bioactive peptides encrypted in milk proteins: proteolytic activation and throphofunctional properties.- Peptidases and amino acid catabolism in lactic acid bacteria.- Sulfur metabolism in bacteria associated with cheese.- Applications.- Analysis of the intestinal microflora: a renaissance.- Probiotics: from myth to reality. Demonstration of functionality in animal models of disease and in human clinical trials.- Bringing a probiotic-containing functional food to the market: microbiological, product, regulatory and labeling issues.- Lactic acid bacteria in the quality improvement and depreciation of wine.- Short Lectures.- Overview on applications for bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria and their bacteriocins.- Developing applications for lactococcal bacteriocins.- Multidrug resistance in lactic acid bacteria: molecular mechanisms and clinical relevance.- DNA-mircoarrays and food-biotechnology.- Exopolysaccharides produced by Lactococcuslactis: from genetic engineering to improved rheological properties?.- Anchoring of proteins to lactic acid bacteria.- Applications of phage resistance in lactic acid bacteria.- Immunomodulatory function of lactic acid bacteria.- The role of lactic acid bacteria in colon cancer prevention: mechanistic considerations.- Lactic acid food fermentation in tropical climates.- Non-dairy lactic fermentations: the cereal world.