Larry L. McKay, Ph.D. Professor Department of Food Science and Nutrition Oregon State University, 1969, Ph.D. lmckay@tc.umn.edu 612-624-3090 office 612-624-9224 lab

Research Interests:

Plasmid biology, physiology and genetics of lactococci used in milk fermentations

Research concerned with physiology and genetics of lactococci used in milk fermentations. Research includes physically and genetically characterizing plastids from lactococci; characterizing plasmid-mediated genes coding for metabolic properties important in milk fermentations, developing methods for efficient gene transfer within lactococcal strains, developing strains to accelerate cheese ripening, and the study of phage resistant mechanisms in lactococci.

Selected Recent Publications: .

• McLandsborough, L. A., L. Sechaud, and L. L. McKay. 1998. Synergistic effects of abiE or abiF from pNP40 when cloned in combination with abiD from pBF61. J. Dairy Sci. 81: 362-368.

• Mills, D. A., T. G. Phister, G. M. Dunny, and L. L. McKay. 1998. An origin of transfer (oriT) on the conjugative element pRS01 from Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis ML3. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 64: 1541-1542.

• Wang, H., W. Yu, T. Coolbear, D. O'Sullivan, and L. L. McKay. 1998. A deficiency in aspartate biosynthesis in Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis C2 causes slow milk coagulation. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 64: 1673-1679.

• Twomey, D. P., L. L. McKay, and D. J. O'Sullivan. 1998. Molecular characterization of the Lactococus lactis LlaKR21 restriction-modification system and effect of an IS982 element positioned between the restriction and modification genes. J. Bacteriol. 180: 5844-5854.

• Dunny, G. M. and L. L. McKay. 1999. Group II introns and expression of conjugative transfer functions in lactic acid bacteria. Antonie van Leewenhoek 76: 77-88.

• Wang, H., D. J. O†Sullivan, K. A. Baldwin, and Larry L. McKay. 2000. Cloning, sequencing, and expression of the pyruvate carboxylase gene in Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis C2. Appl Environ. Microbiol. 66: 1223-1227.

• Twoney, D. P., P. J. de Urraza, L. L. Mckay, and D. J. O†Sullivan. 2000.Characterization of AbiR, a novel multicomponent abortive infection mechanism encoded by plasmid pKR223 of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis KR2. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 2647-2651.

• Wang, H., K. A. Baldwin, D. J. O†Sullivan, and L. L. McKay. 2000. Identification of a gene cluster encoding Krebs cycle oxidative enzymes linked to the pyruvate carboxylase gene in Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis C2. J. Dairy Sci. 83: 1912-1918.

• Ray, P., C. Sanchez, D. J. O'Sullivan, and L. L. McKay. 2000.Classification of a bacterial isolate, from pozol, exhibiting antimicrobial activity against several Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, yeasts, and molds. J. Food Protection 63:1123-1132.

Last modified on: October 4, 2001