Acidipropionibacterium virtanenii sp. nov., isolated from malted barley.

A Gram-stain-positive, catalase-positive and pleomorphic rod organism was isolated from malted barley in Finland, classified initially by partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing and originally deposited in the VTT Culture Collection as a strain of Propionibacterium acidipropionici (currently Acidipropionibacterium acidipropionici). The subsequent comparison of the whole 16S rRNA gene with other representatives of the genus Acidipropionibacterium revealed that the strain belongs to a novel species, most closely related to Acidipropionibacterium microaerophilum and Acidipropionibacterium acidipropionici, with similarity values of 98.46 and 98.31 %, respectively. The whole genome sequencing using PacBio RS II platform allowed further comparison of the genome with all of the other DNA sequences available for the type strains of the Acidipropionibacterium species. Those comparisons revealed the highest similarity of strain JS278T to A. acidipropionici, which was confirmed by the average nucleotide identity analysis. The genome of strain JS278T is intermediate in size compared to the A. acidipropionici and Acidipropionibacterium jensenii at 3 432 872 bp, the G+C content is 68.4 mol%. The strain fermented a wide range of carbon sources, and produced propionic acid as the major fermentation product. Besides its poor ability to grow at 37 °C and positive catalase reaction, the observed phenotype was almost indistinguishable from those of A. acidipropionici and A. jensenii. Based on our findings, we conclude that the organism represents a novel member of the genus Acidipropionibacterium, for which we propose the name Acidipropionibacteriumvirtanenii sp. nov. The type strain is JS278T (=VTT E-113202T=DSM 106790T).

Bacterial populations on brewery filling hall surfaces as revealed by next-generation sequencing.

Due to the presence of moisture and nutrients, brewery filling line surfaces are susceptible to unwanted microbial attachment. Knowledge of the attaching microbes will aid in designing hygienic control of the process. In this study the bacterial diversity present on brewery filling line surfaces was revealed by next generation sequencing. The two filling lines studied maintained their characteristic bacterial community throughout three sampling times (13-163 days). On the glass bottle line, γ-proteobacteria dominated (35-82% of all OTUs), whereas on the canning line α-, ß- and γ-proteobacteria and actinobacteria were most common. The most frequently detected genera were Acinetobacter, Propinobacterium and Pseudomonas. The halophilic genus Halomonas was commonly detected, which might be due to its tolerance to alkaline foam cleaners. This study has revealed a detailed overall picture of the bacterial groups present on filling line surfaces. Further effort should be given to determine the efficacy of washing procedures on different bacterial groups.

Comparative physiology and fermentation performance of Saaz and Frohberg lager yeast strains and the parental species Saccharomyces eubayanus.

Two distinct genetic groups (Saaz and Frohberg) exist within the hybrid Saccharomyces pastorianus (S. cerevisiae × S. eubayanus) taxon. However, physiological/technological differences that exist between the two groups are not known. Fermentative capability of the parental S. eubayanus has likewise never been studied. Here, 58 lager strains were screened to determine which hybrid group they belonged to, and selected strains were characterized to determine salient characteristics. In 15 °P all-malt wort fermentations at 22 °C, Frohberg strains showed greater growth and superior fermentation (80% apparent attenuation, 6.5% alcohol by volume in 3-4 days) compared to all other strains and maintained highest viability values (>93%). Fermentation with S. eubayanus was poor at the same temperature (33% apparent attenuation, 2.7% alcohol by volume at 6 days and viability reduced to 75%). Saaz strains and S. eubayanus were the least sensitive to cold (10 °C), though this did not translate to greater fermentation performance. Fermentation with S. eubayanus was poor at 10 °C but equal to or greater than that of the Saaz strains. Performance of Saaz yeast/S. eubayanus was limited by an inability to use wort maltotriose. [(14)C]-Maltotriose transport assays also showed negligible activity in these strains (≤0.5 µmol min(-1) g(-1) dry yeast). Beers from Saaz fermentations were characterized by two- to sixfold lower production of the flavour compounds methyl butanol, ethyl acetate and 3-methylbutyl acetate compared to Frohberg strains. Higher alcohol and ester production by S. eubayanus was similar to that of Frohberg strains.

Lactobacillus backii and Pediococcus damnosus isolated from 170-year-old beer recovered from a shipwreck lack the metabolic activities required to grow in modern lager beer.

In 2010, bottles of beer containing viable bacteria of the common beer-spoilage species Lactobacillus backii and Pediococcus damnosus were recovered from a shipwreck near the Åland Islands, Finland. The 170-year quiescent state maintained by the shipwreck bacteria presented a unique opportunity to study lactic acid bacteria (LAB) evolution vis-a-vis growth and survival in the beer environment. Three shipwreck bacteria (one L. backii strain and two P. damnosus strains) and modern-day beer-spoilage isolates of the same two species were genome sequenced, characterized for hop iso-α-acid tolerance, and growth in degassed lager and wheat beer. In addition, plasmid variants of the modern-day P. damnosus strain were analyzed for the effect of plasmid-encoded genes on growth in lager beer. Coding content on two plasmids was identified as essential for LAB growth in modern lager beer. Three chromosomal regions containing genes related to sugar transport and cell wall polysaccharides were shared by pediococci able to grow in beer. Our results show that the three shipwreck bacteria lack the necessary plasmid-located genetic content to grow in modern lager beer, but carry additional genes related to acid tolerance and biofilm formation compared to their modern counterparts.