DISCRIMINATION AMONG PEDIOCIN ACH PA-1 PRODUCER STRAINS BY COMPARISONOF PEDB AND PEDD AMPLIFIED GENES AND BY MULTIPLEX PCR ASSAY/

Pediococcus acidilactici, Pediococcus parvulus and Lactobacillus plant arum pediocin AcH/PA-1 produces strains were studied with the aim to i nvestigate their common genetic pediocin determinant using pedA, pedB, pedC and pedD gene-targeted PCR assay. Single Strand Conformation pol ymorphism and restriction analysis of pedA and pedC amplified fragment s from the three different species did not show any differences in seq uence while these analysis carried out on pedB and pedD amplified frag ments highlighted differences related to the three species analyzed ha rboring these plasmid encoded genes. Furthermore different multiplex P CR assays using IdhD, pedA and pedD as target genes were developed to clearly identify the pediocin AcH/PA-1 producer strains and to obtain the simultaneous identification of the P. acidilactici strains.