Systems biology of robustness and flexibility: Lactobacillus buchneri-A show case

Lactobacillus buchneri is a lactic acid bacterium that naturally inhabits very different ecological niches and plays an ambivalent role in many food and feed fermentation processes, where it can act as useful starter or as spoilage organism. Due to its vicinity to important biotechnological processes like silage making, ethanol production, baking, fermenting vegetables or brewing, L. buchneri was subject of extensive research and is now a quite well studied microorganism. Recently, next generation 'OMICS'-methods were applied to investigate L. buchneri in more detail on a systems biology level. These studies give insights into genetic equipment of L. buchneri, its metabolism. interaction with microbial consortia, and gene regulation under different growth conditions. The present review article is a compilation of the available results and is an attempt that aims to understand how L. buchneri, equipped with a relatively small set of genes, can adapt to so many highly distinct ecological niches, resist the associated, sometimes tough environmental conditions and prevail against other members of the microbial consortia present in the same niche.