Characterization of a potential probiotic bacterium Lactococcus raffinolactis WiKim0068 isolated from fermented vegetable using genomic and in vitro analyses

Abstract Background: Lactococcus members belonging to lactic acid bacteria are widely used as starter bacteria in the production of fermented dairy products. From kimchi, a Korean food made of fermented vegetables, Lactococcus raffinolactis WiKim0068 was isolated and its genome was analyzed. Results: The complete genome of the strain WiKim0068 consists of one chromosome and two plasmids that comprises 2,292,235 bp, with a G+C content of 39.7 mol%. Analysis of orthoANI values among Lactococcus genome sequences showed that the strain WiKim0068 has > 67% sequence similarity to other species and subspecies. In addition, it displayed no antibiotic resistance and can metabolize nicotinate and nicotinamide (vitamin B3). Conclusion: These results augments our understanding of the genus Lactococcus and suggest that this new strain has potential industrial applications.