Abstract—According to FDA (Food and Drug Administration of the United States), vinegar is definedas a sour liquid containing at least 4 grams acetic acid in 100 cubic centimeter (4% solution of acetic acid) of solution that is produced from sugary materials by alcoholic fermentation. In the base of microbial starters, vinegars could be contained of more than 50 types of volatile and aromatic substances that responsible for their sweet taste and smelling. Recently the vinegar industry has a great proportion in agriculture, food and microbial biotechnology. The acetic acid bacteria are from the family Acetobacteraceae. Regarding to the latest version of Bergy’s Mannual of Systematic Bacteriology that has categorized bacteria in the base of their 16s RNA differences, the most important acetic acid genera are included Acetobacter (genus I), Gluconacetobacter (genus VIII) and Gluconobacter (genus IX). The genus Acetobacter that is primarily used in vinegar manufacturing plants is a gram negative, obligate aerobe coccus or rod shaped bacterium with the size 0.6 - 0.8 X 1.0 - 4.0 μm, nonmotile or motile with peritrichous flagella and catalase positive – oxidase negative biochemically. Some strains are overoxidizer that could convert acetic acid to carbon dioxide and water.In this research one Acetobacter native strain with high acetic acid productivity was isolated from Iranian white – red cherry. We used two specific culture media include Carr medium [yeast extract, 3%; ethanol, 2% (v/v); bromocresol green, 0.002%; agar, 2% and distilled water, 1000 ml], Frateur medium [yeast extract, 10 g/l; CaCO3, 20 g/l; ethanol, 20 g/l; agar, 20 g/l and distilled water, 1000 ml] and an industrial culture medium. In addition to high acetic acid production and high growth rate, this strain had a good tolerance against ethanol concentration that was examined using modified Carr media with 5%, 7% and 9% ethanol concentrations. While the industrial strains of acetic acid bacteria grow in the thermal range of 28 – 30 oC, this strain was adapted for growth in 34 – 36 oC after 96 hours incubation period. These dramatic characteristics suggest a potential biotechnological strain in production of cherry vinegar with a sweet smell and different nutritional properties in comparison to recent vinegar types. The lack of growth after 24, 48 and 72 hours incubation at 34 – 36 oC and the growth after 96 hours indicates a good and fast thermal flexibility of K. Beheshti Maal is with Department of Microbiology, Islamic Azad University of Falavarjan, Falavarjan 84515/155, Esfahan, Iran (Corresponding author, telefax: +98-335-322-0136; e-mail: beheshtimaal@iaufala.ac.ir ). R. Shafiee is with Pars Yeema Biotechnologists Co. Isfahan Science and Technology Town (ISTT), Esfahan 84155-666, Iran (e-mail: shafiee_rasool@yahoo.com ). this strain as a significant characteristic of biotechnological and industrial strains. Keywords—Acetobacte, acetic acid bacteria, white – red cherry, food and agriculture biotechnology, industrial fermentation, vinegar. I. INTRODUCTION INEGAR is defined as a 4% acetic acid solution that is originated from an alcoholic fermentation processing using sugary substances [1] – [4]. Recently the vinegar industry has been developed to produce several vinegar types using various qualified native or engineered acetic acid bacteria [2]- [3]. As originally defined, the acid acetic bacteria comprised a group of gram-negative, aerobic, motile rods that carried out incomplete oxidation of alcohol and sugars, leading to the accumulation of organic acids as end products. The acetic acid bacteria (AAB) are heterogenous assemblage organisms [5] - [6]. There are several genus in AAB group but Gluconobacter sp. and Acetobacter sp. are more discussed as bacteria that can produce acetic acid industrially. Acetic acid bacteria are commonly associated with some fruits such as grape and are normally present in must deteriorated fruits. These have more acetic acid bacteria population whereas unspoiled fruits have less [7]. There are several factors that affect the growth and survival of AAB that amongst, ethanol concentration, acetic acid concentration, oxygen, temperature and nutrient availability are the most important factors that can affect the survival of AAB. Acetic acid concentration below 10 g/l is resulted in significantly increased growth rate (particularly at low ethanol concentration) above 20 g/l acetic acid, however growth is severely restricted and virtually inhibited at an acetic acid concentration in the region of 50 g/l, whatever the amount of ethanol present [8]. There is no doubt that the presence or absence of oxygen greatly impacts the growth of acetic acid bacteria and in industrial vinegar fermentation (wine and rohm). Isolation and Identification of an Acetobacter Strain from Iranian White-Red Cherry with High Acetic Acid Productivity as a Potential Strain for Cherry Vinegar Production in Food and Agriculture Biotechnology K. Beheshti Maal, and R. Shafiee V World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology 54 2009 201