IDENTIFICATION OF CARNOBACTERIUM SPP AND LEUCONOSTOC SPP IN MEAT BY GENUS-SPECIFIC 16S-RIBOSOMAL RNA PROBES

Oligonucleotide probes specific for Carnobacterium and Leuconostoc spe cies were constructed from the variable regions of 16S rRNA obtained f rom the literature and sequence data bases. The probes were hybridized with crude nucleic acid extract from 32 type strains of lactic acid b acteria (LAB) commonly found on meat. Two of the probes hybridized onl y to the four Carnobacterium species whereas the other two hybridized only to five of the six Leuconostoc species tested. The probes were al so hybridized with nucleic acids from unknown strains of LAB. The iden tification was consistent with the results of biochemical tests used t o characterize the two genera.