Table_2_Microbiome and Functional Analysis of a Traditional Food Process: Isolation of a Novel Species (Vibrio hibernica) With Industrial Potential.XLSX

Traditional food preservation processes are vital for the food industry. They not only preserve a high-quality protein and nutrient source but can also provide important value-added organoleptic properties. The Wiltshire process is a traditional food curing method applied to meat, and special recognition is given to the maintenance of a live rich microflora within the curing brine. We have previously analyzed a curing brine from this traditional meat process and characterized a unique microbial core signature. The characteristic microbial community is actively maintained and includes the genera, Marinilactibacillus, Carnobacterium, Leuconostoc, and Vibrio. The bacteria present are vital for Wiltshire curing compliance. However, the exact function of this microflora is largely unknown. A microbiome profiling of three curing brines was conducted and investigated for functional traits by the robust bioinformatic tool, Tax4Fun. The key objective was to uncover putative metabolic functions associated with the live brine and to identify changes over time. The functional bioinformatic analysis revealed metabolic enrichments over time, with many of the pathways identified as being involved in organoleptic development. The core bacteria present in the brine are Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB), with the exception of the Vibrio genus. LAB are known for their positive contribution to food processing, however, little work has been conducted on the use of Vibrio species for beneficial processes. The Vibrio genome was sequenced by Illumina MiSeq technologies and annotated in RAST. A phylogenetic reconstruction was completed using both the 16S rRNA gene and housekeeping genes, gapA, ftsZ, mreB, topA, gyrB, pyrH, recA, and rpoA. The isolated Vibrio species was defined as a unique novel species, named Vibrio hibernica strain B1.19. Metabolic profiling revealed that the bacterium has a unique substrate scope in comparison to other closely related Vibrio species tested. The possible function and industrial potential of the strain was investigated using carbohydrate metabolizing profiling under food processing relevant conditions. Vibrio hibernica is capable of metabolizing a unique carbohydrate profile at low temperatures. This characteristic provides new application options for use in the industrial food sector, as well as highlighting the key role of this bacterium in the Wiltshire curing process.

传统食品保鲜工艺对食品工业至关重要，不仅能够保留优质蛋白质与营养源，还可赋予产品重要的增值感官特性。威尔特郡腌制法（Wiltshire process）是一种应用于肉类的传统食品腌制工艺，其核心特色在于维持腌制盐水中活跃且丰富的微生物群落，这一点受到行业广泛认可。此前我们针对该传统肉类腌制工艺的腌制盐水开展了分析，并鉴定出一套独特的微生物核心特征。该特征性微生物群落处于动态维持状态，涵盖Marinilactibacillus、Carnobacterium、Leuconostoc以及Vibrio四个菌属，这些菌群对于威尔特郡腌制法的合规性至关重要。然而，该微生物群落的确切功能仍鲜为人知。本研究对三份腌制盐水进行了微生物组谱分析，并借助稳健的生物信息学工具Tax4Fun探究其功能性状，核心目标在于揭示与活性盐水相关的潜在代谢功能，并阐明其随时间推移的变化规律。功能生物信息学分析结果显示，代谢通路随时间呈现富集趋势，其中多数通路被证实与感官特性形成密切相关。该盐水中的核心菌群以乳酸菌（Lactic Acid Bacteria, LAB）为主，仅Vibrio菌属除外。乳酸菌在食品加工中的积极作用已广为人知，但针对Vibrio菌种用于有益工艺的研究却极为匮乏。本研究采用Illumina MiSeq测序技术完成了该Vibrio菌株的基因组测序，并通过RAST平台完成基因组注释；同时基于16S rRNA基因及管家基因gapA、ftsZ、mreB、topA、gyrB、pyrH、recA与rpoA完成了系统发育重建。该分离得到的Vibrio菌株被鉴定为全新菌种，命名为冬眠弧菌（Vibrio hibernica）B1.19菌株。代谢谱分析显示，与其他受试近缘弧菌相比，该菌株拥有独特的底物利用谱。研究在食品加工相关的条件下，通过碳水化合物代谢谱分析探究了该菌株的潜在功能与工业应用潜力：冬眠弧菌能够在低温环境下代谢独特的碳水化合物谱，这一特性为其在工业食品领域的应用提供了新的可能，同时也凸显了该菌株在威尔特郡腌制工艺中的关键作用。