关键词: 乳杆菌；分类边界；核心基因；系统基因组学；食品发酵

Abstract: Lactobacillus strains are commonly used in fermented foods and are potential probiotics. The taxonomic status of Lactobacillus has been undergoing revision. In recent years, the large-scale reclassification of Lactobacillus based on core gene analysis has ushered in an era of genomic taxonomy for this genus. This article surveys the changes in the taxonomic position of Lactobacillus from three aspects: the evolution of taxonomic systems, technological drivers, and application orientation, highlighting the indispensable role of core gene phylogenetic analysis, average nucleotide identity, and digital DNA-DNA hybridization for taxonomy. The reclassification and phylogenomic analysis of the genus Lactobacillus and the updates to prokaryotic classification rules are briefly described. Moreover, this review introduces how the taxonomic changes in Lactobacillus affect its application in food fermentation and probiotic development, as well as its industrial adaptability. It also presents an outlook on new approaches based on integrated multi-omics and artificial intelligence for Lactobacillus classification, providing references for its scientific classification and effective industrial utilization and, more broadly, stimulating microbial taxonomy research and the development of the food industry.

Key words: Lactobacillus; classification boundaries; core genes; phylogenomics; food fermentation