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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, August 2003, p. 5029-5031, Vol. 69, No. 8
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.8.5029-5031.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Increased Exopolysaccharide Production in Lactococcus lactis due to Increased Levels of Expression of the NIZO B40 eps Gene Cluster

Ingeborg C. Boels,^1,2, Richard van Kranenburg,^1,2, Marja W. Kanning,² Barrie Fong Chong,^2, Willem M. de Vos,¹ and Michiel Kleerebezem^1,2*

Wageningen Centre for Food Sciences, Wageningen,¹ NIZO Food Research, Ede, The Netherlands²

Received 10 March 2003/ Accepted 27 May 2003

Exopolysaccharides (EPS) play an important role in the rheology and texture of fermented food products. This is the first report demonstrating that homologous overexpression of a complete eps gene cluster in Lactococcus lactis leads to increased EPS production levels. A ninefold-elevated EPS plasmid copy number led to an almost threefold increase in the eps expression level, resulting in an almost fourfold increase in the NIZO B40 EPS production level. It was previously reported that increased EPS precursor levels did not influence NIZO B40 EPS production levels. However, the present results indicate that the maximal NIZO B40 EPS production level is limited by the activity level of the expression products of the eps gene cluster rather than by the level of EPS precursors.

Present address: Corporate Research, Friesland Coberco Dairy Foods, Deventer, The Netherlands.

Present address: Purac, Gorinchem, The Netherlands.

Present address: The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.

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