title: Acetic acid bacteria: A group of bacteria with versatile biotechnological applications.
abstract: Acetic acid bacteria are gram-negative obligate aerobic bacteria assigned to the family Acetobacteraceae of Alphaproteobacteria. They are members of the genera Acetobacter, Gluconobacter, Gluconacetobacter, Acidomonas, Asaia, Kozakia, Swaminathania, Saccharibacter, Neoasaia, Granulibacter, Tanticharoenia, Ameyamaea, Neokomagataea, and Komagataeibacter. Many strains of Acetobacter and Komagataeibacter have been known to possess high acetic acid fermentation ability as well as the acetic acid and ethanol resistance, which are considered to be useful features for industrial production of acetic acid and vinegar, the commercial product. On the other hand, Gluconobacter strains have the ability to perform oxidative fermentation of various sugars, sugar alcohols, and sugar acids leading to the formation of several valuable products. Thermotolerant strains of acetic acid bacteria were isolated in order to serve as the new strains of choice for industrial fermentations, in which the cooling costs for maintaining optimum growth and production temperature in the fermentation vessels could be significantly reduced. Genetic modifications by adaptation and genetic engineering were also applied to improve their properties, such as productivity and heat resistance.
authors.affiliation: Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 11, 783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic. Electronic address: natsaran.saichana@upol.cz.
authors.forename: Natsaran
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saichana
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Yamaguchi University, 1677-1 Yoshida, 753-8515 Yamaguchi-shi, Yamaguchi, Japan. Electronic address: kazunobu@yamaguchi-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kazunobu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsushita
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Yamaguchi University, 1677-1 Yoshida, 753-8515 Yamaguchi-shi, Yamaguchi, Japan. Electronic address: osao@yamaguchi-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Osao
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.affiliation: Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 11, 783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic. Electronic address: ivo.frebort@upol.cz.
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Frébort
authors.affiliation: Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 11, 783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic. Electronic address: jitka.frebortova@upol.cz.
authors.forename: Jitka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Frebortova
mesh_terms: D019342:Acetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D005285:Fermentation; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction
chemical_list: D019342:Acetic Acid
keywords: Acetic acid bacteria; Biotechnology; Oxidative fermentation; Thermotolerant; Vinegar