Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been isolated successfully from the tiger grouper
Epinephelusfuscoguttatus intestine. However, their genus or species have not been identified. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to characterize the three isolated LAB (KSBU-12C, KSBU-5Da, and KSBU-9) based on their phenotype and genotype. The LAB phenotype was examined by observing morphological features including cell morphology, spore production and motility. The physiological tests were performed in 6.5% NaCl at the temperatures of 10
oC and 45
oC, and the biochemical tests were evaluated based on the production of enzymes catalase, oxidase and arginine dehydrolase, following the Standard Analytical Profile Index, API 50 CH kit. The genotype was examined based on 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis , and the products were analyzed using the BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) NCBI database. The three isolates (KSBU-5Da, KSBU-12C, and KSBU-9) were categorized into the genus
Enterococcus. 16S rDNA sequence analysis indicated that the isolates had 99% similarity to
E. hirae ATCC 9790, registered in GenBank with accession number
NR_075022.1. It was concluded that the three LAB isolates taken from the tiger grouper
Epinephelus fuscoguttatus are
E. hirae.