Several cre-like sequences highly similar to those found in B. suhtilis and S. mutans (27-30) were also retrieved from the promoter operator region of the L.acidophilus NCFM sucrose operon as well as that of the other msm locus (Table 1). Interestingly, sequences nearly identical to the cre-like elements found in the L. acidophilus msm operon were found in the promoter -operator region of the msm locus in S. pneumoniae (Table 1)