Genome data mining of lactic acid bacteria: the impact of bioinformatics.

Siezen RJ, van Enckevort FH, Kleerebezem M, Teusink B.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been widely used in food fermentations and, more
recently, as probiotics in health-promoting food products. Genome sequencing and
functional genomics studies of a variety of LAB are now rapidly providing
insights into their diversity and evolution and revealing the molecular basis for
important traits such as flavor formation, sugar metabolism, stress response,
adaptation and interactions. Bioinformatics plays a key role in handling,
integrating and analyzing the flood of 'omics' data being generated.
Reconstruction of metabolic potential using bioinformatics tools and databases,
followed by targeted experimental verification and exploration of the metabolic
and regulatory network properties, are the present challenges that should lead to
improved exploitation of these versatile food bacteria.

Curr Opin Biotechnol. 2004 Apr;15(2):105-15.