Leuconostocaceae

The Leuconostocaceae are a family of Gram-positive bacteria, placed within the order of Lactobacillales. Representative genera include Fructobacillus, Leuconostoc, Oenococcus, and Weissella. Bacteria that belong to these three genera are nonspore-forming, round or elongated in shape, and anaerobic or aerotolerant. They usually inhabit nutrient-rich environments such as milk, meat, vegetable products, and fermented drinks. Lactic acid is the main end product of their characteristic heterofermentative carbohydrate metabolism. The phylogeny of the family Leuconostocaceae has recently been evaluated.