摘要:Bacteria belonging genus Lactococcus are widely used in industrial dairy fermentations; contributing to the flavor, texture and preservation of fermented products. The most common cause of failure of dairy fermentation process is phage infection, which causes lysis of the starter bacteria and consequent reduction of lactic acid production. The application of genetic and molecular technologies to the study of lactococcal phages has proven to be very rewarding in terms of understanding the nature of phages with respect to their physical and genetic organisation.