RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Chen, Yi-Guang A1 Zhang, Yu-Qin A1 Xiao, Huai-Dong A1 Liu, Zhu-Xiang A1 Yi, Lang-Bo A1 Shi, Jin-Xiao A1 Zhi, Xiao-Yang A1 Cui, Xiao-Long A1 Li, Wen-JunYR 2009 T1 Pontibacillus halophilus sp. nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium isolated from a sea urchin JF International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, VO 59 IS 7 SP 1635 OP 1639 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/ijs.0.002469-0 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1466-5034, AB A Gram-positive-staining, moderately halophilic, strictly aerobic, catalase- and oxidase-positive, rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain JSM 076056T, was isolated from a sea urchin collected from the South China Sea. Cells were motile by means of peritrichous flagella and formed ellipsoidal endospores lying in subterminal swollen sporangia. Strain JSM 076056T was able to grow at salinities of 2–25 % (w/v) total salts and at pH 6.0–10.0 and 15–40 °C; optimum growth was observed with 5–10 % (w/v) total salts and at pH 7.0–8.0 and 25–30 °C. It was incapable of growing with NaCl as the sole salt. meso-Diaminopimelic acid was present in the cell-wall peptidoglycan. The major cellular fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C16 : 0, iso-C14 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0 and C16 : 1 ω7c alcohol. The predominant respiratory quinone was MK-7 and the genomic DNA G+C content was 45.5 mol%. A phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain JSM 076056T belonged to the family Bacillaceae and was related most closely to the type strains of the two recognized species of the genus Pontibacillus, namely Pontibacillus chungwhensis BH030062T (96.4 % sequence similarity) and Pontibacillus marinus BH030004T (96.2 %); these three strains formed a robust cluster in the phylogenetic tree. In combination, the phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic data indicate that strain JSM 076056T represents a novel species of the genus Pontibacillus, for which the name Pontibacillus halophilus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is JSM 076056T (=CCTCC AA 207029T =DSM 19796T =KCTC 13190T)., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijs.0.002469-0