ABIS Encyclopedia

The differentiation between the related species Lactobacillus paraplantarum, Lactobacillus pentosus, Lactobacillus plantarum subsp.
plantarum and Lactobacillus plantarum subsp. argentoratensis is problematic when using physiological and biochemical
characteristics. The use of genotypic methods provides clear identification results (Bringel et al., 2005).

Lactobacillus pentosus pinpoint colonies on
Sheep Blood Agar

Lactobacillus pentosus

Taxonomy

Morphology

Cultural characteristics

Biochemical characters

Ecology

Pathogenicity

References

Phylum Firmicutes, Class Bacilli, Order Lactobacillales, Family Lactobacillaceae, Genus Lactobacillus, [Group B lactobacilli
(facultatively heterofermentative), unique phylogenetic-group], Lactobacillus pentosus (ex Fred, Peterson and Anderson 1921) Zanoni,
Farrow, Phillips and Collins 1987.

Gram-positive, straight rods (1-1.2 x 2-5 μm) with rounded ends, occurring singly, in
pairs or in short chains. Nonmotile.

Colonies grown on MRS agar are round, smooth, dome shaped, and creamy. Grow at
10, 15 and 40 ºC. No growth at 45 ºC. Facultatively anaerobic.

Isolated from corn silage, fermenting olives, and sewage.

Undetermined.

Hammes W.P. and Hertel C., 2009. Genus I. Lactobacillus Beijerinck 1901. In: (Eds.) P.D. Vos, G. Garrity, D. Jones, N.R. Krieg, W.
Ludwig, F.A. Rainey, K.-H. Schleifer, W.B. Whitman. Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, Volume 3: The Firmicutes,
Springer, 465-511.
Zanoni P., Farrow J.A.E., Phillips B.A. and Collins M.D., 1987. Lactobacillus pentosus (Fred, Peterson, and Anderson) sp. nov.,
nom. rev. IJSB Vol. 37, No. 4, 339-341.
Bringel F., Castioni A., Olukoya D.K., Felis G.E., Torriani S. and Dellaglio F., 2005. Lactobacillus plantarum subsp. argentoratensis
subsp. nov., isolated from vegetable matrices. IJSEM 55, 1629-1634.

Facultatively heterofermentative.

Positive results for esculin hydrolysis, Voges-Proskauer reaction, fermentation of:
amygdalin, arbutin, L-arabinose, cellobiose, fructose, galactose, beta-gentiobiose,
N-acetylglucosamine, glucose (acid), gluconate, glycerol, lactose, maltose, mannitol,
mannose, melibiose, raffinose, ribose, salicin, sorbitol, sucrose, trehalose and
D-xylose.

Negative results for arginine hydrolysis, catalase, fermentation of: adonitol,
D-arabinose, L-arabitol, erythritol, fucose, glycogen, inositol, inulin, 2-ketogluconate,
5-ketogluconate, lyxose, sorbose, starch, tagatose, L-xylose and xylitol.
Negative results for indole production and oxidase acivity (admin note).

Variable results for fermentation of: D-arabitol, dulcitol, melezitose, rhamnose and
turanose.