Genus-specific profile of acetic acid bacteria by 16S rDNA PCR-DGGE

An effective method for grouping acetic acid bacteria (AAB) genera was defined and evaluated as a tool for preliminary screening of the major AAB species involved in vinegar production. Acetobacter, Gluconobacter, Gluconacetobacter, Asaia, Neoasaia, Saccharibacter, Frateuria and Kozakia AAB strains were screened on the basis of the 16S rDNA sequences using polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) technique. The DGGE profile of all the strains tested, consisted of one single band of approximately 330 bp for each strain and allowed their clustering. The results obtained clearly reflected in silico phylogenetic analysis of the AAB species used in this study, in fact, the species with a higher 16S rDNA sequence homology showed a similar electrophoretic profile. In particular almost all the species belonging to the genus Gluconacetobacter showed a DGGE pattern nearly identical and well distinct from all the other AAB genera. Furthermore by PCR-DGGE it was possible to clearly group the species more frequently recovered from vinegar fermentation which are mainly distributed in the genera Acetobacter, Gluconobacter and Gluconacetobacter.