Isolation of a DNA probe for identification of glucan‐producingPediococcus damnosusin wines

摘要

SomePediococcus damnosusstrains isolated from spoiled wines were able to synthesize polysaccharide and increased viscosity. Three strains lost their ropy phenotype relatively frequently during successive transfers in a non‐alcoholic medium. They could not recover it when cultured in the presence of ethanol. Plasmid pattern comparison showed these variants had lost some of their plasmid DNA. Both ethanol and the plasmid were required to induce polysaccharide synthesis.Plasmid DNA of a wild strain was cloned intoEscherichia coliwith pTZ18R and pBR 322. Specific clones were selected by differential hybridization of transformedE. coliwith plasmid DNA from a ropy strain and its non‐ropy variant. Clones which hybridized with total plasmid DNA from the ropy strain and not with that of the non‐ropy strain carried an insert of the plasmid involved. One of these was chosen. Its DNA proved to be specific and usable as a probe in identifying and detecting ropyPed. damnosusst