Brevibacterium linens

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Brevibacterium linens
Systematics
Department : Actinobacteria
Order : Actinomycetales
Subordination : Micrococcineae
Family : Brevibacteriaceae
Genre : Brevibacterium
Type : Brevibacterium linens
Scientific name
Brevibacterium linens
( Wolff 1910) Breed 1953
Romadur cheese , on the rind the "red smear" formed by Brevibacterium linens

Brevibacterium linens is a gram-positive , rod-shaped bacterium thatplays an important rolein the surface ripening of cheese . Most of the strains are plasmid-poor or plasmid-free.

living conditions

The aerobic bacterium grows in the temperature range from 8 to 37 ° C, best at 21 to 25 ° C and at a pH value of 6.0 to 9.8 (optimum: 6.5–7.0). Most of the strains tolerate a salt content of 15%.

metabolism

Brevibacterium linens builds protein and forms methanethiol from L-methionine . Many strains require light for the formation of the red pigments , the carotenoids . The bacteriocins of this type are called linecins .

commercial use

Some cheeses ripen with the help of the bacterium Brevibacterium linens , which grows on the surface of the cheese and breaks down proteins from there. Because of the orange-colored bacterial growth, these types of cheese are known as red smear cheese and the bacterium is known as red smear bacteria . Examples are Limburger cheese , Romadur , some “ beer cheese ” and sour milk cheese (such as Harz cheese ) of the yellow cheese type.

literature