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Diversity of Streptococcus thermophilus Phages in a Large-Production Cheese Factory in Argentina

A. Quiberoni^*,1, D. Tremblay, H.-W. Ackermann, S. Moineau^, and J. A. Reinheimer^*

^* Instituto de Lactología Industrial (INLAIN), Facultad de Ingeniería Química, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santiago del Estero 2829, 3000 Santa Fe, Argentina
Groupe de Recherche en Écologie Buccale (GREB), Félix d’Hérelle Reference Center for Bacterial Viruses, Faculté de Médecine Dentaire, Université Laval, Québec, Canada, G1K 7P4
Département de Biologie Médicale, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Canada, G1K 7P4
Département de Biochimie et de Microbiologie, Faculté des Sciences et de Génie, Université Laval, Québec, Canada, G1K 7P4

¹ Corresponding author: aquibe{at}fiqus.unl.edu.ar

Phage infections still represent a serious risk to the dairy industry, in which Streptococcus thermophilus is used in starter cultures for the manufacture of yogurt and cheese. The goal of the present study was to analyze the biodiversity of the virulent S. thermophilus phage population in one Argentinean cheese plant. Ten distinct S. thermophilus phages were isolated from cheese whey samples collected in a 2-mo survey. They were then characterized by their morphology, host range, and restriction patterns. These phages were also classified within the 2 main groups of S. thermophilus phages (cos- and pac-type) using a newly adapted multiplex PCR method. Six phages were classified as cos-type phages, whereas the 4 others belonged to the pac-type group. This study illustrates the phage diversity that can be found in one factory that rotates several cultures of S. thermophilus. Limiting the number of starter cultures is likely to reduce phage biodiversity within a fermentation facility.

Key Words: Argentinean dairy plant • Streptococcus thermophilus • bacteriophage • genetic diversity

This article has been cited by other articles:

				B. del Rio, M. C. Martin, N. Martinez, A. H. Magadan, and M. A. Alvarez Multiplex Fast Real-Time PCR for Quantitative Detection and Identification of cos- and pac-Type Streptococcus thermophilus Bacteriophages Appl. Envir. Microbiol., August 1, 2008; 74(15): 4779 - 4781. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]