Edmund R. S. Kunji

The proteolytic systems of lactic acid bacteria

Proteolysis in dairy lactic acid bacteria has been studied in great detail by genetic, biochemical and ultrastructural methods. From these studies the picture emerges that the proteolytic systems of lactococci and lactobacilli are remarkably similar in their components and mode of action. The proteolytic system consists of an extracellularly located serine-proteinase, transport systems specific for di-tripeptides and oligopeptides (> 3 residues), and a multitude of intracellular peptidases. This review describes the properties and regulation of individual components as well as studies that have led to identification of their cellular localization. Targeted mutational techniques developed in recent years have made it possible to investigate the role of individual and combinations of enzymes in vivo. Based on these results as well as in vitro studies of the enzymes and transporters, a model for the proteolytic pathway is proposed. The main features are: (i) proteinases have a broad specificity and are capable of releasing a large number of different oligopeptides, of which a large fraction falls in the range of 4 to 8 amino acid residues; (ii) oligopeptide transport is the main route for nitrogen entry into the cell; (iii) all peptidases are located intracellularly and concerted action of peptidases is required for complete degradation of accumulated peptides.

Specificity mutants of the binding protein of the oligopeptide transport system of Lactococcus lactis

The kinetic properties of wild-type and mutant oligopeptide binding proteins of Lactococcus lactis were determined. To observe the properties of the mutant proteins in vivo, the oppA gene was deleted from the chromosome of L. lactis to produce a strain that was totally defective in oligopeptide transport. Amplified expression of the oppA gene resulted in an 8- to 12-fold increase in OppA protein relative to the wild-type level. The amplified expression was paralleled by increased bradykinin binding activity, but had relatively little effect on the overall transport of bradykinin via Opp. Several site-directed mutants were constructed on the basis of a comparison of the primary sequences of OppA from Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and L. lactis, taking into account the known structure of the serovar Typhimurium protein. Putative peptide binding-site residues were mutated. All the mutant OppA proteins exhibited a decreased binding affinity for the high-affinity peptide bradykinin. Except for OppA(D471R), the mutant OppA proteins displayed highly defective bradykinin uptake, whereas the transport of the low-affinity substrate KYGK was barely affected. Cells expressing OppA(D471R) had a similar K(m) for transport, whereas the V(max) was increased more than twofold as compared to the wild-type protein. The data are discussed in the light of a kinetic model and imply that the rate of transport is determined to a large extent by the donation of the peptide from the OppA protein to the translocator complex.

Fate of peptides in peptidase mutants of Lactococcus lactis

The utilization of exogenous peptides was studied in mutants of Lactococcus lactis in which combinations of the peptidase genes pepNpepCpepOpepX and pepT were deleted. Multiple mutants lacking PepN, PepC, PepT plus PepX could not grow on peptides such as Leu–Gly–Gly, Gly–Phe–Leu, Leu–Gly–Pro, Ala–Pro–Leu and Gly–Leu–Gly–Leu, respectively, indicating that no other peptidases are present to release the essential amino acid Leu. In these mutants, peptides accumulate intracellularly, demonstrating that peptides are translocated as whole entities prior to degradation. The mutant lacking all five peptidases could still grow on Gly–Leu and Tyr–Gly–Gly–Phe–Leu, which confirmed the presence of a dipeptidase and led to the identification of an unknown PepO‐like endopeptidase. These studies have also shown that the general aminopeptidases PepN, PepC and PepT have overlapping but not identical specificities and differ in their overall activity towards individual peptides. In contrast, PepX has an unique specificity, because it is the only enzyme which can efficiently degrade Ala–Pro–Leu. The concerted action of peptidases in the breakdown of particular peptides revealed how these substrates are utilized as sources of nitrogen.

Casein-breakdown by Lactococcus lactis

Mixed starter cultures used to manufacture Dutch cheeses are composed of lactic acid bacteria of which Lactococcus spp. are the dominant organisms (Hugenholtz 1986). Several metabolic properties of lactococci serve special functions which directly or indirectly have impact on processes such as flavour development and ripening of the cheese (Olson 1990). These functions are (i) fermentation and depletion of the milk sugar lactose, (ii) reduction of the redox potential, (iii) citrate fermentation, and (iv) degradation of casein. The degradation of casein by lactococci yields peptides and amino acids that are the sources of essential and growth-stimulating amino acids for Lactococcus lactis (Thomas and Pritchard 1987; Chopin 1993). In addition to being an important nutritional source for the starter culture bacteria, the casein degradation products also play a crucial role in the development of flavour in cheese. Certain peptides contribute to the formation of a typical cheese flavour, whereas others, undesirable bitter-tasting peptides, can result in an off-flavour. The need for a better understanding of the processes leading to the formation of these flavour peptides has prompted various research groups to study the components of the proteolytic pathway. Research on the proteolytic pathway of L.lactis is the most advanced. Most, if not all, of the components of this pathway have been identified, the majority of the enzymes purified and biochemically characterized, and the genetics of the corresponding genes studied (Table I).