High-throughput sequencing of microbial communities in Poro cheese, an artisanal Mexican cheese

The bacterial diversity and structure of Poro cheese, an artisanal food, was analysed by high-throughput sequencing (454 pyrosequencing) in order to gain insight about changes in bacterial communities associated with the cheese-making process. Dairy samples consisting of milk, fermented whey, curd and ripened cheese (during 7 and 60 d) were collected from three manufacturers located in the state of Tabasco, México during dry (March–June) and rainy (August–November) seasons. Independently of producer and season, raw milk samples displayed the highest diversity in bacterial communities. In raw milk, genera found were <i>Macrococcus</i>, <i>Staphylococcus</i>, <i>Enterococcus</i>, <i>Streptococcus</i>, <i>Lactobacillus</i> and <i>Enhydrobacter.</i> Diversity in whey, curd and cheese was lower, principally containing <i>Streptococcus</i> and <i>Lactobacillus</i>; however, bacteria such as <i>Staphylococcus</i>, <i>Acinetobacter</i>, <i>Chryseobacterium</i>, <i>Bacillus</i>, <i>Sediminibacter</i>, <i>Lactococcus</i> and <i>Enterococcus</i> were occasionally present. After curdling step, the most dominant and abundant species were <i>Streptococcus thermophilus</i> and <i>Lactobacillus delbrueckii</i>.