binary_fission_in_a_bacterial_cell.swf 

Leuconostoc mesenteroides reproduce by a process called binary fission.  In binary fission, the organism duplicates its DNA.  In Gram positive bacteria, such as, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, the septum develops from the wall toward the inside.   Once there is the split into two identical cells, each cell gets a copy of the DNA. 

Leuconostoc mesenteroides do not reproduce asexually by forming spores.  Spores are structures that some bacteria form in times of stress.  They can develop into new organisms without joining with another organism.