This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Blomqvist, T. Articles by Håvarstein, L. S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Blomqvist, T. Articles by Håvarstein, L. S. Agricola Articles by Blomqvist, T. Articles by Håvarstein, L. S.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, October 2006, p. 6751-6756, Vol. 72, No. 10
0099-2240/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.01156-06
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Natural Genetic Transformation: a Novel Tool for Efficient Genetic Engineering of the Dairy Bacterium Streptococcus thermophilus

Trinelise Blomqvist, Hilde Steinmoen, and Leiv Sigve Håvarstein^*

Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, N-1432 Ås, Norway

Received 19 May 2006/ Accepted 16 July 2006

Streptococcus thermophilus is widely used for the manufacture of yoghurt and Swiss or Italian-type cheeses. These products have a market value of approximately $40 billion per year, making S. thermophilus a species that has major economic importance. Even though the fermentation properties of this bacterium have been gradually improved by classical methods, there is great potential for further improvement through genetic engineering. Due to the recent publication of three complete genome sequences, it is now possible to use a rational approach for designing S. thermophilus starter strains with improved properties. Progress in this field, however, is hampered by a lack of genetic tools. Therefore, we developed a system, based on natural transformation, which makes genetic manipulations in S. thermophilus easy, rapid, and highly efficient. The efficiency of this novel tool should make it possible to construct food-grade mutants of S. thermophilus, opening up exciting new possibilities that should benefit consumers as well as the dairy industry.

---

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway. Phone: 47-64965883. Fax: 47-64965901. E-mail: sigve.havarstein{at}umb.no.

---

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, October 2006, p. 6751-6756, Vol. 72, No. 10
0099-2240/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.01156-06
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Gardan, R., Besset, C., Guillot, A., Gitton, C., Monnet, V. (2009). The Oligopeptide Transport System Is Essential for the Development of Natural Competence in Streptococcus thermophilus Strain LMD-9. J. Bacteriol. 191: 4647-4655 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Bellanger, X., Roberts, A. P., Morel, C., Choulet, F., Pavlovic, G., Mullany, P., Decaris, B., Guedon, G. (2009). Conjugative Transfer of the Integrative Conjugative Elements ICESt1 and ICESt3 from Streptococcus thermophilus. J. Bacteriol. 191: 2764-2775 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Sun, D., Zhang, X., Wang, L., Prudhomme, M., Xie, Z., Martin, B., Claverys, J.-P. (2009). Transforming DNA Uptake Gene Orthologs Do Not Mediate Spontaneous Plasmid Transformation in Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 191: 713-719 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Ammann, A., Neve, H., Geis, A., Heller, K. J. (2008). Plasmid Transfer via Transduction from Streptococcus thermophilus to Lactococcus lactis. J. Bacteriol. 190: 3083-3087 [Abstract] [Full Text]