Transcriptome analysis and related databases of Lactococcus lactis

Several complete genome sequences of Lactococcus lactis and their annotations will become available in the near future, next to the already published genome sequence of L. lactis ssp. lactis IL1403. This will allow intraspecies comparative genomics studies as well as functional genomics studies aimed at a better understanding of physiological processes and regulatory networks operating in lactococci. This paper decribes the initial set-up of a DNA-microarray facility in our group, to enable transcriptome analysis of various Gram-positive bacteria, including a ssp. lactis and a ssp. cremoris strain of Lactococcus lactis. Moreover a global description will be given of the hardware and software requirements for such a set-up, highlighting the crucial integration of relevant bioinformatics tools and methods. This includes the development of MolGenIS, an information system for transcriptome data storage and retrieval, and LactococCyc, a metabolic pathway/genome database of Lactococcus lactis.