title: Identification of thermo tolerant lactic acid bacteria isolated from silage prepared in the hot and humid climate of Southwestern Japan.
abstract: To develop high-quality silage starters adapted to hot and humid weather, 12 LAB isolates from silage produced in Kyushu and Okinawa, Japan were characterized based on their morphological features, growth curves and sugar utilization. In addition, the nucleotide sequences of the V2-V3 region of their 16S rRNA genes and the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer (ITS) regions were determined. The isolates were also subjected to RAPD-PCR analysis, DNA-DNA hybridization, G+C content analysis and immuno-identification using species-specific monoclonal antibodies and SDS-PAGE profiling. Nearly all of the isolates exhibited high thermotolerance and rapid growth. Combining ITS sequence analysis, RAPD-PCR and immuno-identification enabled rapid and accurate identification of closely related LAB strains that other methods failed to appropriately differentiate; for example, L. plantarum was distinguished from L. pentosus, and L. casei was distinguished from L. rhamonsus. Using the aforementioned techniques, the isolated strains were identified as L. plantarum, L. rhamonsus, L. rapi, Pediococcus pentosaceus and P. lolii. Our findings also showed that there is greater diversity among thermophilic LABs in silage prepared in a hot and humid environment.
authors.affiliation: Microbial Genetic Division, Institute of Genetic Resources, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8581 Japan.
authors.forename: Katsumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Doi
authors.forename: Yousuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishizaki
authors.forename: Hidetoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Maki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kitahara
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujino
authors.forename: Sadahiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohmomo
authors.forename: Toshihisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohshima
authors.forename: Seiya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ogata
keywords: Hot and humid environment; Lactic acid bacteria; Lactobacillus; Pediococcus; Silage