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* Western Dairy Center,
Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences and Department of
Biology Utah State University, Logan 84322-8700
Department of Microbiology, Weber State University, Ogden UT 84408-2506
|| Département de Biochimie et de Microbiologie Université Laval, Québec, Canada, G1K 7P4
Corresponding author:
J. R. Broadbent; Tel: (435) 797-2113, Fax: (435) 797-2379, e-mail:
broadbnt{at}cc.usu.edu.
Many strains ofStreptococcus thermophilus synthesize extracellular polysaccharides. These molecules may be produced as capsules that are tightly associated with the cell, or they may be liberated into the medium as a loose slime (i.e., "ropy" polysaccharide). Although the presence of exopolysaccharide does not confer any obvious advantage to growth or survival of S. thermophilus in milk, in situ production by this species or other dairy lactic acid bacteria typically imparts a desirable "ropy" or viscous texture to fermented milk products. Recent work has also shown that exopolysaccharide-producing S. thermophilus can enhance the functional properties of Mozzarella cheese, but they are not phage-proof. As our understanding of the genetics, physiology, and functionality of bacterial exopolysaccharides continues to improve, novel applications for polysaccharides and polysaccharide-producing cultures are likely to emerge inside and outside the dairy industry. This article provides an overview of biochemistry, genetics, and applications of exopolysaccharide production in S. thermophilus.
Key Words: Streptococcus thermophilus exopolysaccharide lactic acid bacteria
Abbreviation key: CPS = capsular exopolysaccharide, CPS+/-= ability (+) or inability (-) to produce capsular exopolysaccharide, EPS = exopolysaccharide, EPS+/-= ability (+) or inability (-) to produce capsular or secreted exopolysaccharide, LAB = lactic acid bacteria
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