Quantitative detection and identification of tyramine-producing enterococci and lactobacilli in cheese by multiplex qPCR

Tyramine is the most abundant biogenic amine in fermented dairy products, in which it is produced through the microbial enzymatic decarboxylation of tyrosine. This activity has been detected in a variety of lactic acid bacteria mainly belonging to the genera Enterococcus and Lactobacillus. This paper describes a culture-independent qPCR method, based on the specific amplification of the tdc gene, for the detection, quantification and identification of bacteria with the ability to produce tyramine. This method was found to be specific and to show a wide dynamic range, thus allowing the quantification of these tdc+ bacterial groups among the complex microbiota of cheese. tdc qPCR was used to follow the development of tdc+ microbiota during the manufacture of a blue-veined cheese (Cabrales) made from raw milk. In this type of cheese, tdc+ enterococci seem to be responsible for the high concentrations of tyramine detected. The method was also used to identify and quantify tdc+ enterococci and lactobacilli in 18 commercially available cheeses. Different types and numbers of these microorganisms were found. Their relationships with the concentration of tyramine and technological factors are discussed.