Molecular identification of gut lactic acid bacteria in pigs by macro-arraying techniques
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) consist of many genera, which contain numerous bacterial species. The LAB are Gram-positive, non-spore forming micro-organisms and typically give negative results to the catalase test (Stiles and Holzapfel, 1997). The current classification of LAB combines both phenotypic properties and genotypic examination. Phenotypic studies use the cell wall compositions (mainly for Bifidobacteria), protein fingerprinting which analyse the total soluble cytoplasmic proteins, and the patterns of certain isoenzymes. The gold-standard molecular method to identify LAB is DNA-DNA homology analysis, and molecular methods using specific genetic material patterns of LAB are increasingly being applied as an identification tool. The objective of this study was to develop potential specific oligonucleotide probes for the macro-array identification of LAB.