FISHERIES RESEARCH INSTITUTE,MOA,TAIWAN

Isolation and identification of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from deep sea water were conducted in this study. Eight samples (from 285 m to 912 m) of deep sea water were collected from Chinpen (eastern Taiwan) off-shore. The samples were filtered through membranes (0.22 µm) and cultured on MRS agar at 25℃ for 72 hours. Among the 35 isolates, 2 isolates were identified as LAB. The 2 isolates, named ST14-321 LA1 and ST14-530 LA1, were sampled from the depth of 321 m and 530 m of the station 14, respectively. They were both Gram positive, cocci in tetrads, catalase negative, and homofermentative. Based on the physiological, biochemical characteristics and 16S rRNA sequence analysis, the 2 isolates were identified as Pediococcus urinaeequi. In addition, the results showed that optimum temperature, pH, and salinity for their growth were similar, which were 25℃, 8.0, and 1-7%, respectively. However, their fermentation profiles were different.