Biodiversity of cheese surface consortia F and M by a culture independent method. TTGE fingerprints were analyzed on two different gels (high and low GC) after total DNA extraction of cheese surface consortia. Single bands were assigned to species using the species database or by excision, cloning and sequencing (*). b, c*, C. variabile; d, Mc. gubbeenense; f*, uncultured bacterium from marine sediment; h, j, C. casei; k, Br. tyrofermentans; l, Brachybacterium sp.; m*, Br. paraconglomeratum; a, e, g, h, i, n, o, B. linens; p, St. vitulinus; q, St. equorum, St. epidermidis or F. tabacinasalis; q, t, St. equorum; w, Lc. lactis or M. psychrotolerans; x*, Ag. casei; y*, Al. kapii; z, Lc. lactis; z', M. psychrotolerans. L, Ladder: A, Lb. plantarum SM71; B, Lc. lactis diacetylactis UL719; C, C. variabile FAM17291; E, A. arilaitensis FAM17250; D, F, B. linens FAM17309.