Characterization of Acetobacter pomorum KJY8 Isolated from Korean Traditional Vinegar

Acetobacter sp. strains were isolated from traditional vinegar collected in Daegu city and Gyeongbuk province. The strain KJY8 showing a high acetic acid productivity was isolated and characterized by phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, and phylogenetic inference based on 16S rRNA sequence analysis. The chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic analyses revealed the isolate to be a strain of Acetobacter pomorum. The isolate showed a G+C content of 60.8 mol%. It contained $\small{LL}$-diaminopimelic acid ($\small{LL}$-$A_2pm$) as the cell wall amino acid and ubiquinone $Q_9$ (H6) as the major quinone. The predominant cellular fatty acids were $C_{18:1}w9c$, w12t, and w7c. Strain KJY8 grew rapidly on glucose-yeast extract (GYC) agar and formed pale white colonies with smooth to rough surfaces. The optimum cultivation conditions for acetic acid production by the KJY8 strain were $20^{\circ}C$ and pH 3.0, with an initial ethanol concentration of 9% (w/v) to produce an acetic acid concentration of 8% (w/v).