Differentiation of lactic acid bacteria strains by postelectrophoretic detection of esterases

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) comprise a diverse group of Gram-positive, non-spore-forming microorganisms. These bacteria are widely used in food technology. The species identification of LAB depends mainly on physiological and biochemical criteria. The esterolytic systems of LAB remain poorly characterized. Esterases (EC 3.1.1.3) represent a diverse group of hydrolases catalyzing the cleavage and formation of esters bonds Screening of esterases is usually performed either by employing chromophoric substances (e.g., alpha- or beta-naphthyl esters of short-chain fatty acids). The post-electrophoretic detection of esterases is a sensitive technique applied in bacterial systems, that mainly provides information on the similarity of strains within the same species or subspecies according to their esterase patterns. This technique is principally used to determine the number and substrate specificity of esterases and lipases, revealing the complexity of lipase and esterase systems. The present chapter describes the technique of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE; in the absence of sodium dodecyl sulfate [SDS]), in non-denaturing conditions, to find intracellular fractions for strain typing of LAB.