title: Prokaryotic community composition in alkaline-fermented skate (Raja pulchra).
abstract: Prokaryotes were extracted from skates and fermented skates purchased from fish markets and a local manufacturer in South Korea. The prokaryotic community composition of skates and fermented skates was investigated using 16S rRNA pyrosequencing. The ranges for pH and salinity of the grinded tissue extract from fermented skates were 8.4-8.9 and 1.6-6.6%, respectively. Urea and ammonia concentrations were markedly low and high, respectively, in fermented skates compared to skates. Species richness was increased in fermented skates compared to skates. Dominant and predominant bacterial groups present in the fermented skates belonged to the phylum Firmicutes, whereas those in skates belonged to Gammaproteobacteria. The major taxa found in Firmicutes were Atopostipes (Carnobacteriaceae, Lactobacillales) and/or Tissierella (Tissierellaceae, Tissierellales). A combination of RT-PCR and pyrosequencing for active bacterial composition showed that the dominant taxa i.e., Atopostipes and Tissierella, were active in fermented skate. Those dominant taxa are possibly marine lactic acid bacteria. Marine bacteria of the taxa Lactobacillales and/or Clostridia seem to be important in alkaline fermentation of skates.
authors.affiliation: Microbial Oceanography Laboratory, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Research Institute of Oceanography, Seoul National University, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Gwang Il
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: Microbial Oceanography Laboratory, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Research Institute of Oceanography, Seoul National University, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Gahee
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Chung Yeon
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Microbial Oceanography Laboratory, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Research Institute of Oceanography, Seoul National University, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: bccho@snu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Byung Cheol
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003013:Clostridium / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005285:Fermentation; D000068536:Bacillota / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D059014:High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D056546:Lactobacillales / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D059013:Microbial Consortia / Q000235:genetics; D056910:Republic of Korea; D017747:Seafood / Q000382:microbiology*; D012860:Skates, Fish / Q000382:microbiology*
keywords: Community composition; Fermented skate; Prokaryotes; Pyrosequencing