Production and Regeneration of Lactobacillus bulgaricus Protoplasts

Conditions for the production and regeneration in Lactobacillus bulgaricus protoplasts were investigated. Protoplasts of L bulgaricus strains were obtained by treatment with mutanolysin and lysozyme together in a protoplast forming buffer containing 0.02 M N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N'-2-ethanesulfonic acid (HEPES) (pH 7.0) and 0.5 M sucrose. High protoplast yield was obtained from cells cultured in the de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe(MRS) medium at the middle to late logarithmic growth phase. Regeneration was efficiently accomplished with a complex medium containing 1% sucrose, 20 mM $MgCl_2$, 5% gelatin, and 0.5% bovine serum albumin. The frequency of regeneration of protoplasts was 10~20% after 5 days of incubation at $30^{\circ}C$.