Antimicrobial Activity and Genomic Analysis of <i>Lactococcus lactis</i> Strains NRRL B-50571 and NRRL B-50572 Isolated from Artisanal Mexican Cheese for the Assessment of their Biotechnological Potential as Starter Cultures

The objective of this study was to report the genome sequence of <i>Lactococcus lactis</i> NRRL B-50571 and NRRL B-50572, <i>in silico</i> analysis for the identification of genes related with their biotechnological potential and to evaluate the antimicrobial properties <i>in vitro</i>. Results demonstrated the safety of these strains, since they did not exhibit antibiotic resistance genes or links to pathogenic families. Genes related to probiotic properties, amino acid biosynthesis and catabolism, vitamin production and carbohydrate metabolism, bacteriocins and secondary metabolites were found. Also, these strains produced bacteriocin-like substances which exhibited antimicrobial activity against food indicator microorganisms (<i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, <i>Listeria innocua</i>, <i>Salmonella enterica</i> subsp. <i>enterica</i> serovar Typhimurium, <i>Salmonella enterica</i> subsp. <i>enterica</i> serovar Choleraesuis and <i>Escherichia coli)</i>. These findings provided valuable insights into the genomic and functional capabilities of <i>L. lactis</i> NRRL B-50571 and NRRL B-50572, highlighting their biotechnological significance for their use as starter cultures in the manufacture of safe dairy foods with potential health benefits.