%0 Journal Article %A Gasser, F. %T Electrophoretic Characterization of Lactic Dehydrogenases in the Genus Lactobacillus %D 1970 %J Microbiology, %V 62 %N 2 %P 223-239 %@ 1465-2080 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-62-2-223 %I Microbiology Society, %X SUMMARY: Crude extracts of 146 strains of different species of Lactobacillus have been submitted to starch gel electrophoresis and the gels developed specifically for lactic dehydrogenases, d or l, NAD-dependent or NAD-independent. Each species contained at least one NAD-dependent lactic dehydrogenase specific for d(−) or for l( + ) lactic acid; some species contained both enzymes. For each species there was a strict correlation between the stereospecificity of the NAD-dependent lactic dehydrogenases found in extracts and the type of lactic acid produced during growth, i.e. d(−), l ( + ) or dl. The l-lactic dehydrogenases (NAD-dependent) of Lactobacillus casei and L. fermenti were not reversible and consequently could not be detected after electrophoresis. Only those NAD-independent lactic dehydrogenases able to reduce phenazine methosulphate could be detected by the method of development used. Such enzymes were found in extracts of some homofermentative lactobacilli. The number and the nature of the lactic dehydrogenases and their respective electrophoretic mobilities are constant within a species. Therefore the electrophoretic migration of lactic dehydrogenases of lactobacilli is a useful taxonomic marker for species differentiation. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-62-2-223