Jee-Min Lim

Reclassification of Salegentibacter catena Ying et al. 2007 as Salinimicrobium catena gen. nov., comb. nov. and description of Salinimicrobium xinjiangense sp. nov., a halophilic bacterium isolated from Xinjiang province in China

A Gram-negative, non-motile and moderately halophilic rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain BH206(T), was isolated from a saline lake of Xinjiang province in China. The isolate showed catalase-positive and oxidase-negative reactions and did not reduce nitrate. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the isolate was most closely related to [Salegentibacter] catena HY1(T) with 95.8 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, and formed a tight phyletic group with [Salegentibacter] catena HY1(T) with a bootstrap value of 99 % within the family Flavobacteriaceae. However, strain BH206(T) and [Salegentibacter] catena HY1(T) formed a phyletic lineage distinct from other Salegentibacter species. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of strain BH206(T) with other related type species were lower than 94.6 %. On the basis of physiological and molecular properties, it is clear that [Salegentibacter] catena should be reclassified in the new genus Salinimicrobium as Salinimicrobium catena gen. nov., comb. nov. (type strain HY1(T)=CGMCC 1.6101(T)=JCM 14015(T)) and that strain BH206(T) represents a novel species within the genus Salinimicrobium, for which the name Salinimicrobium xinjiangense sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Salinimicrobium xinjiangense is BH206(T) (=KCTC 12883(T)=DSM 19287(T)).

Gracilibacillus lacisalsi sp. nov., a halophilic Gram-positive bacterium from a salt lake in China.

Two Gram-positive, motile, rod-shaped, halophilic bacteria showing optimum growth at 5-7 % (w/v) NaCl were isolated from a salt lake, Xin-Jiang Province, China. The strains, designated BH312(T) and BH314, grew in the presence of 1-18 % (w/v) NaCl and at temperatures of 15-50 degrees C (optimum: 40 degrees C) and pH values of 5.5-10.0 (optimum: pH 7.5-8.0). The major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C(15 : 0), iso-C(15 : 0) and anteiso-C(17 : 0). The DNA G+C content was 38.8-39.0 mol% and the predominant lipoquinone was MK-7. The major cellular phospholipids were phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol and two unidentified phospholipids. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the isolates formed a cluster with Gracilibacillus orientalis XH-63(T) within the genus Gracilibacillus. The levels of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with closely related type strains were lower than 96.2 %. On the basis of phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic properties, the isolates represent a novel species of the genus Gracilibacillus for which the name Gracilibacillus lacisalsi sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BH312(T) (=KCTC 13129(T)=DSM 19029(T)).

Salinimicrobium terrae sp. nov., isolated from saline soil, and emended description of the genus Salinimicrobium

A novel yellow-pigmented, Gram-negative, slightly halophilic, catalase-positive, oxidase-negative, obligately aerobic bacterium, designated strain YIM-C338(T), was isolated from saline soil from the Qaidam Basin in north-west China. Cells were non-sporulating, non-motile, short rods, predominantly occurring singly. Coccoid bodies and slightly curved rod-shaped cells of varying length developed in older cultures. Growth occurred with 0.5-8 % (w/v) NaCl (optimally with 1-3 %, w/v), at pH 6.0-9.0 (optimally at pH 7.0) and at 4-37 degrees C (optimally at 28 degrees C). The major cellular fatty acids were C(16 : 0), C(18 : 0), C(16 : 1)omega7c, C(18 : 1)omega7c, iso-C(13 : 0) 3-OH and iso-C(15 : 1). MK-6 was the only respiratory quinone. Non-diffusible carotenoid pigments were produced. Flexirubin-type pigments were absent. The genomic DNA G+C content was 42.8 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain YIM-C338(T) was a member of the genus Salinimicrobium, having sequence similarities of 97.3 and 94.0 % with respect to Salinimicrobium xinjiangense BH206(T) and Salinimicrobium catena HY1(T). The combination of the phylogenetic data, phenotypic characteristics and chemotaxonomic differences supported the view that strain YIM-C338(T) represents a novel species of the genus Salinimicrobium, for which the name Salinimicrobium terrae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YIM-C338(T) (=DSM 17865(T) =CGMCC 1.6308(T)). An emended description of the genus Salinimicrobium is also provided.

Albimonas donghaensis gen. nov., sp. nov., a non-photosynthetic member of the class Alphaproteobacteria isolated from seawater.

A moderately halophilic Gram-negative bacterium, strain DS2(T), was isolated from seawater from the East Sea in Korea. Strain DS2(T) grew at salinities of 0-14% (w/v) NaCl and at temperatures in the range 10-38 degrees C. The cells were non-motile short rods (1.0-1.4 microm in width and 1.6-2.6 microm in length) and the major fatty acids were C(18:1)omega7c and 11-methyl C(18:1)omega7c. The genomic DNA G+C content was 72.0 mol% and the predominant lipoquinone was Q-10. The major cellular phospholipids were phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain DS2(T) formed a distinct phyletic line from the genus Rubrimonas within the Alphaproteobacteria. The levels of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with respect to the type strains of related genera were below 94%. On the basis of physiological and phylogenetic properties, strain DS2(T) represents a novel genus and species of the Alphaproteobacteria, for which the name Albimonas donghaensis gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is DS2(T) (=KCTC 12586(T)=DSM 17890(T)).

Paenibacillus harenae sp. nov., isolated from desert sand in China

A Gram-positive, endospore-forming, rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain B519T, was isolated from a desert sand sample of Gansu Province, China. Strain B519T was strictly aerobic and cells were motile by means of peritrichous flagella. The strain grew optimally at 32-35 degrees C and pH 6.5-7.0. Chemotaxonomic data supported the affiliation of the new isolate to the genus Paenibacillus, including menaquinone-7 (MK-7) as the major isoprenoid quinone, DNA G+C content of 49.9 mol%, cell-wall type A1gamma (meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid) and anteiso-C(15 : 0), iso-C(15 : 0), C(16 : 0) and iso-C(16 : 0) as the major fatty acids. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain B519T was most closely related to Paenibacillus alkaliterrae KSL-134T (98.0 % similarity). DNA-DNA relatedness between strain B519T and P. alkaliterrae KSL-134T was about 12.3 %. On the basis of phenotypic characteristics and molecular properties, strain B519T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Paenibacillus, for which the name Paenibacillus harenae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is B519T (=KCTC 3951T =DSM 16969T).