Lactococcus
| Lactococcus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Lactococcus lactis | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Bacteria |
| Kingdom: | Bacillati |
| Phylum: | Bacillota |
| Class: | Bacilli |
| Order: | Lactobacillales |
| Family: | Streptococcaceae |
| Genus: | Lactococcus Schleifer et al. 1986 |
| Type species | |
| Lactococcus lactis (Lister 1873) Schleifer et al. 1986 | |
| Species | |
Lactococcus, from Latin lac, meaning "milk", and Ancient Greek κόκκος (kókkos), meaning "berry", is a genus of lactic acid bacteria that were formerly classified as Lancefield group N streptococci. They are known as homofermenters meaning that they produce a single product, lactic acid in this case, as the major or only product of glucose fermentation. Their homofermentative character can be altered by adjusting environmental conditions such as pH, glucose concentration, and nutrient limitation. They are gram-positive, catalase-negative, non-motile cocci that are found singly, in pairs, or in chains. The genus contains strains known to grow at or below 7˚C.