ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews briefly recent progress and applications of genetic studies of the dairy lactobacilli. The starter cultures of dairy lactobacilli used today can be called historically selected strains because, for a long time, favorable strains have been selected to produce fermented milk products. Transfection has been reported for several strains of the dairy lactobacilli as shown later. Transformation by electroporation will be applied widely to improve many strains of the dairy lactobacilli for the following reasons: It is efficient and reproducible if the conditions for a given strain are established. Recent progress in genetic studies of the four species of dairy lactobacilli will be reviewed in detail. To establish efficient gene transfer systems for a given industrial strain of dairy lactobacilli, transformation by electroporation seems to be the most promising method. The vectors should be derived from the dairy lactobacilli or at least from the other bacteria that have a long history of food production.
