Lactobacillus kimchicus sp. nov., a β-glucosidase-producing bacterium isolated from kimchi

A Gram-reaction-positive, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped, non-motile, beta-glucosidase-producing bacterium, designated DCY51(T), was isolated from kimchi, a Korean fermented vegetable food. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain DCY51(T) belonged to the genus Lactobacillus and exhibited highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with Lactobacillus paracollinoides AB 74 (96.9%), L. similis JCM 2765(T) (96.9%), L. collinoides JCM 1123(T) (96.7%) and L. hilgardii DSM 20176(T) (95.5%). Subsequently, pheS sequence analysis confirmed that strain DCY51(T) formed a distinct lineage within the Lactobacillus plantarum group. The major polar lipid of strain DCY51(T) was phosphatidylethanolamine and minor amounts of phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol were found. Phenotypic characteristics and DNA-DNA relatedness indicated that strain DCY51(T) was clearly distinguished from other type strains of species of the genus Lactobacillus. A novel species, Lactobacillus kimchicus sp. nov., is proposed, with type strain DCY51(T) (=KCTC 12976(T) =JCM 15530(T)).