Leuconostoc

{{Short description|Genus of bacteria}}

{{Italic title}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| taxon = Leuconostoc

| authority = van Tieghem 1878 (Approved Lists 1980){{cite journal | vauthors = ((Van Tieghem P.)) | title = Sur la gomme de sucrerie (Leuconostoc mesenteroides) | trans-title = On sugar-mill gum (Leuconostoc mesenteroides) | journal = Annales des Sciences Naturelles Botanique | year = 1878 | volume = 7 | pages = 180–203}}

| type_species = Leuconostoc mesenteroides

| type_species_authority = (Tsenkovskii 1878) van Tieghem 1878 (Approved Lists 1980)

| subdivision_ranks = Species

| subdivision = See text.

| synonyms = * "Ascococcus" Tsenkovskii 1878

}}

LeuconostocBjörkroth, J., and W. Holzapfel. 2006. Genera Leuconostoc, Oenococcus and Weissella, p.267 -319. In M. Dworkin (ed.), The prokaryotes: A handbook on the biology of bacteria: Firmicutes, Cyanobacteria, vol. 4, 3rd ed. Springer-Verlag, New York, NY. [https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30744-3] is a genus of gram-positive bacteria, placed within the family of Lactobacillaceae. They are generally ovoid cocci often forming chains. Leuconostoc spp. are intrinsically resistant to vancomycin and are catalase-negative (which distinguishes them from staphylococci). All species within this genus are heterofermentative and are able to produce dextran from sucrose. They are generally slime-forming. The name Leuconostoc comes from Greek adjective leukos meaning clear; and the word nostoc gelatinous colonies, Leuconostoc - colorless nostoc.{{cite journal|author1=Potts M |title=Etymology of the Genus Name Nostoc (Cyanobacteria) |journal=International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology |date=1 January 1997 |volume=47 |issue=2|pages=584 |doi=10.1099/00207713-47-2-584|doi-access=free }}

Blamed for causing the 'stink' when creating a sourdough starter, some species are also capable of causing human infection.{{cite journal|vauthors=Vagiakou-Voudris E, Mylona-Petropoulou D, Kalogeropoulou E, Chantzis A, Chini S, Tsiodra P, Malamou-Lada E |title=Multiple Liver Abscesses Associated with Bacteremia due to Leuconostoc lactis|year=2002|volume=34|issue=10|pages=766–7|pmid=12477331|journal=Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases|doi=10.1080/00365540260348572|s2cid=6532754 }} Because they are an uncommon cause of disease in humans, standard commercial identification kits are often unable to identify the organism.{{cite journal|title=Accuracies of Leuconostoc phenotypic identification: a comparison of API systems and conventional phenotypic assays |vauthors=Kulwichit W, Nilgate S, Chatsuwan T, etal |journal=BMC Infectious Diseases|year=2007|volume=7|pages=69|doi=10.1186/1471-2334-7-69|pmid=17605772|pmc=1947989 |doi-access=free }}

Leuconostoc spp., along with other lactic acid bacteria such as Pediococcus and Lactobacillus, are responsible for the fermentation of cabbage, making it sauerkraut. In this process, fresh cabbage is fermented in a light brine, where the sugars in the cabbage are transformed by lactofermentation to lactic acid which gives the cabbage a sour flavour and good keeping qualities. Leuconostoc spp. are similarly part of the symbiotic colonies of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) involved in the fermentation of kefir, a fermented milk beverage{{cite journal|last1=Farnworth|first1=Edward R|title=Kefir—A complex probiotic|journal=Food Science and Technology Bulletin: Functional Foods|date=4 April 2005|volume=2|issue=1|pages=1–17|doi=10.1616/1476-2137.13938|url=http://kefir.it/kefir_probiotic.pdf|access-date=20 December 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140514095454/http://www.kefir.it/kefir_probiotic.pdf|archive-date=14 May 2014|citeseerx=10.1.1.583.6014}} and kombucha, a fermented tea.