doenjang fermentation.Thephylum-level analysis revealed that
only Firmicutes predominated during the entire fermentation
period (Figure 3A). Actinobacteria was also detected as a
minor group,with maximum relative abundance reaching
approximately 6.5% at 48 days.The genus-level analysis
revealed Bacillus to be predominant at a relative abundance of
approximately 40%, without an eviden tfluctuation (Figure 3B).
Enterococcus was also identified as a dominant group during
early fermentation, but its relative abundance rapidly decreased
with the sudden increase of Tetragenococcus at 108 day-doenjang
samples.The latter genus was not observed initially but appeared
as a dominant group from 108-day samples, and its high relative
abundance lasted until the end of fermentation (day 332).
Interestingly, Lactobacillus was identified as a dominant group
in 179-day samples. Other minor bacterial genera detected in
the doenjang samples included Staphylococcus, Clostridium sensu
stricto, unclassified Thermoactinomycetaceae 1, and unclassified
Bacillales from Firmicutes, as well as Corynebacterium from
Actinobacteria; these groups did not exhibit dramatic fluctuations
in their relative abundance during fermentation