Cold Adaptation of Lactobacillus paraplantarum C7 Isolated from Kimchi

The effect of preadaptation at low temperature on cryoprotection was studied for Lactobacillus paraplantarum C7, a bacteriocin producer isolated from kimchi. L paraplantarum C7 cells in their log growth phase were incubated at $15^\circ{C}$, $10^\circ{C}$, or $5^\circ{C}$ for 2, 4, and 6 h, respectively, before being frozen at $-70^\circ{C}$. After 24 h of freezing, viable cells were counted after brief thawing. The freezing-thawing cycles were repeated three more times. Cells preadapted at $10^\circ{C}$ or $5^\circ{C}$ before freezing survived better than control cells, but preadaptation at $15^\circ{C}$ did not confer cryoprotection. Chloramphenicol addition did not destroy the cryoprotection, indicating that protein synthesis was not required for the development of cryoprotection. SDS-PAGE showed induction of a 6.5-kDa protein, a major cold-shock protein, in preadapted cells.