ATYPICAL LEUCONOSTOC-LIKE WEISSELLA STRAINS ISOLATED FROM MEAT, SHAVING LOW PHENOTYPIC RELATEDNESS WITH THE SO FAR RECOGNIZED ARGININE-NEGATIVE WEISSELLA SPP. AS REVEALED BY SDS-PAGE OF WHOLE-CELL PROTEINS

The levels of phenotypic relatedness among 34 atypical, arginine-negat ive Weissella strains isolated from naturally fermented Greek dry sala mi and the species Weissella paramesenteroides (type strain), Weissell a hellenica (five strains including type strain), Weissella viridescen s (four strains and a reference strain) and Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides (one strain) were determined by numerical analysi s of whole cell protein profiles. W. paramesenteroides was phenotypica lly more closely related to Lc. mesenteroides rather than to W. hellen ica and W. viridescens. Clearly separated from these four species, aty pical Weissella strains formed three distinct clusters, which were als o of low phenotypic similarity to each other. Two Of the clusters were tight and comprised strains capable of producing solely D-lactate. Th e third cluster was very diverse as consisted of four subgroups and an ''intruder'' strain. Most strains of this cluster formed D(L)-lactate . Based on the SDS-PAGE findings, evidence was provided that atypical sausage isolates may represent new, unidentified Weissella taxons of m eat origin.