A novel polymerase chain reaction (PCR) -- denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) for the identification of Micrococcaceae strains involved in meat fermentations. Its application to naturally fermented Italian sausages

摘要

A new molecular method consisting of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and denaturing gradient ge1 electrophor- esis (DGGE) of a small fragment from the l6S rRNA gene identified the Micrococcaceae strains isolated from natural fermented Italian sausages. Lactic acid bacteria, total aerobic mesophilic flora, Enlerobacteriaceae and faecal enterococci were also monitored. Micrococcaceaea control strains from international collections were used to optimise the method and 90 strains, isolated from fer- mented sausages, were identified by biochemical tests and PCR-DGGE. No differences were observed between the methods used. The results reported in this paper prove that Staphylococcus xylosus is the main bacterium involved in fermented sausage produc- tion, representing, from the tenth day of ripening, the only Micrococcaceaea species isolated.