Identification and distribution of predominant lactic acid bacteria in Kimchi, a Korean traditional fermented food

To effectively investigate the identification and distribution of the lactic acid bacteria in Kimchi, polyphasic methods, including a PCR, SDS-PAGE of the whole-cell proteins, and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, were used. In various types of Kimchi fermented at 20degreesC, the isolate KHU-31 was found to be the predominant lactic acid bacteria. This isolate was identified as Lactobacillus sake KHU-31, based on SDS-PAGE of the whole-cell proteins and a 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, which provided accurate and specific results. Accordingly, the approach used in the current study demonstrated that Lactobacillus sake KHU-31, together with Leuconostoc mesenteroides, were the most predominant lactic acid bacteria in all types of Kimchi in the middle stage of fermentation at 20degreesC.