Characterization of a New Acidophilic Acetobacter sp. Strain HA Isolated from Korean Traditional Fermented Vinegar

A new strain of acidophilic, acetogenic bacterium, Acetobacter sp. strain HA was isolated by selective enrichment from the traditionally fermented rice wine vinegar in Korea. It was a gram-negative, non-motile short rod and oxidized acetate and lactate. The optimal temperature and pH for growth were $28^{\circ}C$ and 4.0, respectively. The strain HA differed from other Acetobacter species by growing well on methanol, xylitol, inositol, dulcitol, D-xylose, L-arabinose, and D-mannose as sole sources of carbon and energy. The isolated strain HA did not produce $\gamma$-pyrones from glucose and did not produce ketone bodies from glycerol. The quinone system used in this study was an ubiquinone-9 isoprene unit. The guanine-plus-cytosine content of the DNA was 50.7 mol%, and the major cellular fatty acids were $C_{18:1} and C_{16:0}$.