EVALUATION OF NUMERICAL-ANALYSIS OF RANDOM AMPLIFIED POLYMORPHIC DNA (RAPD)-PCR AS A METHOD TO DIFFERENTIATE LACTOBACILLUS-PLANTARUM AND LACTOBACILLUS-PENTOSUS

Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus pentosus grouped into one pr otein profile cluster at r greater than or equal to 0.70, separate fro m Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus sake, and Lactobacillus curvatus. Similar sugar fermentation reactions were recorded for representative strains of L. plantarum and L. pentosus. Representative strains, incl uding the type of each species, were selected from the different prote in profile clusters and their genetic relatedness determined by using numerical analysis of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR, The type strains of L. plantarum (ATCC 14917(T)) and L. pentosus (NCFB 36 3(T)) displayed different RAPD profiles and grouped into two independe nt clusters, well separated from L. casei, L. curvatus, and L. sake, N umerical analysis of RAPD-PCR proved a reliable and accurate method to distinguish between strains of L. plantarum and L. pentosus.