The genus Lactobacillus comprises 261 species (at March 2020) that are extremely diverse at phenotypic, ecological and genotypic levels. This study evaluated the taxonomy of Lactobacillaceae and Leuconostocaceae on the basis of whole genome sequences. Parameters that were evaluated included core genome phylogeny, (conserved) pairwise average amino acid identity, clade-specific signature genes, physiological criteria and the ecology of the organisms. Based on this polyphasic approach, we propose reclassification of the genus Lactobacillus into 25 genera including the emended genus Lactobacillus, which includes host-adapted organisms that have been referred to as the Lactobacillus delbrueckii group, Paralactobacillus and 23 novel genera for which the names Holzapfelia, Amylolactobacillus, Bombilactobacillus, Companilactobacillus, Lapidilactobacillus, Agrilactobacillus, Schleiferilactobacillus, Loigolactobacilus, Lacticaseibacillus, Latilactobacillus, Dellaglioa, Liquorilactobacillus, Ligilactobacillus, Lactiplantibacillus, Furfurilactobacillus, Paucilactobacillus, Limosilactobacillus, Fructilactobacillus, Acetilactobacillus, Apilactobacillus, Levilactobacillus, Secundilactobacillus and Lentilactobacillus are proposed. We also propose to emend the description of the family Lactobacillaceae to include all genera that were previously included in families Lactobacillaceae and Leuconostocaceae. The generic term 'lactobacilli' will remain useful to designate all organisms that were classified as Lactobacillaceae until 2020. This reclassification reflects the phylogenetic position of the micro-organisms, and groups lactobacilli into robust clades with shared ecological and metabolic properties, as exemplified for the emended genus Lactobacillus encompassing species adapted to vertebrates (such as Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Lactobacillus iners, Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus jensensii, Lactobacillus johnsonii and Lactobacillus acidophilus) or invertebrates (such as Lactobacillus apis and Lactobacillus bombicola).

A taxonomic note on the genus Lactobacillus: Description of 23 novel genera, emended description of the genus Lactobacillus Beijerinck 1901, and union of Lactobacillaceae and Leuconostocaceae.

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) as a building block platform: Biological properties, synthesis and synthetic applications

The environmental fate of phthalate esters: A literature review

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are a family of structurally diverse unconjugated glycans that are highly abundant in and unique to human milk. Originally, HMOs were discovered as a prebiotic "bifidus factor" that serves as a metabolic substrate for desired bacteria and shapes an intestinal microbiota composition with health benefits for the breast-fed neonate. Today, HMOs are known to be more than just "food for bugs". An accumulating body of evidence suggests that HMOs are antiadhesive antimicrobials that serve as soluble decoy receptors, prevent pathogen attachment to infant mucosal surfaces and lower the risk for viral, bacterial and protozoan parasite infections. In addition, HMOs may modulate epithelial and immune cell responses, reduce excessive mucosal leukocyte infiltration and activation, lower the risk for necrotizing enterocolitis and provide the infant with sialic acid as a potentially essential nutrient for brain development and cognition. Most data, however, stem from in vitro, ex vivo or animal studies and occasionally from association studies in mother-infant cohorts. Powered, randomized and controlled intervention studies will be needed to confirm relevance for human neonates. The first part of this review introduces the pioneers in HMO research, outlines HMO structural diversity and describes what is known about HMO biosynthesis in the mother's mammary gland and their metabolism in the breast-fed infant. The second part highlights the postulated beneficial effects of HMO for the breast-fed neonate, compares HMOs with oligosaccharides in the milk of other mammals and in infant formula and summarizes the current roadblocks and future opportunities for HMO research.

Human milk oligosaccharides: Every baby needs a sugar mama

Lactic acid bacteria of foods and their current taxonomy.

Structure of the extracellular polysaccharide from slime-forming Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris SBT 0495

Thin-layer chromatography of carbohydrates in the presence of bisulfite.

A Novel Phosphopolysaccharide from Slime-Forming Lactococcus lactis subspecies cremoris SBT 0495

Presence and Significance of Lactulose in Milk Products: A Review

Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens sp. nov. is described. Four strains of this species isolated from kefir grains are slime-forming, homofermentative, rod-shaped lactic acid bacteria. They differ from all the validly described homofermentative species of the genus Lactobacillus in their carbohydrate fermentation pattern. Their guanine-plus-cytosine content of deoxyribonucleic acid is 34 to 35 mol%. Deoxyribonucleic acids obtained from six other Lactobacillus species do not show significant relatedness to a representative strain of the new species. The type strain of L. kefiranofaciens sp. nov. is WT-2B (ATCC 43761).

Susumu Adachi

Papers

Structure of the extracellular polysaccharide from slime-forming Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris SBT 0495

Thin-layer chromatography of carbohydrates in the presence of bisulfite.

A Novel Phosphopolysaccharide from Slime-Forming Lactococcus lactis subspecies cremoris SBT 0495

Presence and Significance of Lactulose in Milk Products: A Review

Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens sp. nov. Isolated from Kefir Grains