Taxonomy of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria

Taxonomy of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria. A review of current scientific research, applications and resources.

Bacterial Polysaccharides: Current Innovations and Future Trends

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Taxonomy of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria

Adapted from Franco Dellaglio and Giovanna E. Felis in Probiotics and Prebiotics: Scientific Aspects
Taxonomy of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria: The genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium contain a large number of species and strains that exhibit important properties in an applied context, especially in the area of food and probiotics. An updated list of species belonging to those two genera, their phylogenetic relationships and other relevant taxonomic information is reviewed in this chapter. The conventional nature of taxonomy is explained, and some basic concepts and terms will be presented for readers who are not familiar with this important and fast-evolving area, the importance of which is often underestimated. It is explained that the analysis of biodiversity and its cataloguing, i.e. taxonomy, constitutes the basis for applications and scientific communication: reliable identification and correct naming of bacterial strains are not only the primary aims of taxonomic studies but also fundamental elements in an applied context for the tracking of probiotic strains and non-fraudulent labelling of fermented milks and pharmaceutical products containing probiotic microorganisms. A number of freely available resources have been listed, and their use is suggested for people concerned with different aspects of taxonomy. Some perspectives in taxonomy have been outlined, in particular considering the role of culture-independent analyses to reveal the still unknown and uncultured microorganisms. Finally, the impact of the availability of whole-genome sequences in taxonomy is briefly explained; these sequences are expected to give insights into bacterial evolution, which will surely have implications for taxonomy even if the analysis of data for lactic acid bacteria is at only its very beginning.

Taxonomy of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria Resources

Probiotics and Prebiotics: Scientific Aspects
Foodborne Pathogens: Microbiology and Molecular Biology
Current Issues in Intestinal Microbiology Peer-reviewed journal.
Molecular Methods for Probiotics Research
Taxonomy of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria
Lactobacilli in the Gastrointestinal Tract
Exopolysaccharide Production by Intestinal Lactobacilli
Genome-wide Analysis of Gut Bacteria
Genetically Modified Probiotics
Prebiotics and the Infant Microbiota
Bacterial Therapeutics
Food Microbiology
Probiotics Web Page
Current Issues in Molecular Biology
Molecular Biology Resource