10 Facts About Lactobacillus

Lactobacillus is a genus of Gram-positive, aerotolerant anaerobes or microaerophilic, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming bacteria.

Until 2020, the genus Lactobacillus comprised over 260 phylogenetically, ecologically, and metabolically diverse species; a taxonomic revision of the genus assigned lactobacilli to 25 genera .

Lactobacillus species constitute a significant component of the human and animal microbiota at a number of body sites, such as the digestive system, and the female genital system.

In women of European ancestry, Lactobacillus species are normally a major part of the vaginal microbiota.

Lactobacillus species are all homofermentative, do not express pyruvate formate lyase, and most species do not ferment pentoses.

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Lactobacillus contains a wealth of compound microsatellites in the coding region of the genome, which are imperfect and have variant motifs.

Genus Lactobacillus currently contains 44 species which are adapted to vertebrate hosts or to insects.

In recent years, other members of the genus Lactobacillus have been reclassified into the genera Atopobium, Carnobacterium, Weissella, Oenococcus, and Leuconostoc.

Lactic acid can corrode teeth, and the Lactobacillus count in saliva has been used as a "caries test" for many years.

Lactobacillus species are dominant in yogurt, cheese, and sourdough fermentations.