%0 Journal Article %A Parshina, Sofia N. %A Kleerebezem, Robbert %A Sanz, Jose Luis %A Lettinga, Gatze %A Nozhevnikova, Alla N. %A Kostrikina, Nadezhda A. %A Lysenko, Anatoly M. %A Stams, Alfons J. M. %T Soehngenia saccharolytica gen. nov., sp. nov. and Clostridium amygdalinum sp. nov., two novel anaerobic, benzaldehyde-converting bacteria %D 2003 %J International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, %V 53 %N 6 %P 1791-1799 %@ 1466-5034 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/ijs.0.02668-0 %I Microbiology Society, %X Two anaerobic, benzaldehyde-converting bacteria were isolated from an anaerobic upflow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB)-reactor treating potato starch waste water. Strain BOR-YT converted benzaldehyde to benzoate and benzylalcohol in approximately equimolar concentrations. Benzaldehyde conversion did not support growth. Strain BOR-YT was Gram-positive and rod-shaped, and its cells were slightly thickened in the middle. The strain was a mesophilic spore-former that grew between 15 and 40 °C, with optimum growth at 30–37 °C. The optimum pH for growth was pH 7·0. Strain BOR-YT grew on a wide range of carbohydrates and some other carbon sources including yeast extract, cysteine and serine. The G+C content of its DNA was 42 mol%. According to physiological characteristics and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, confirmed by DNA–DNA hybridization with its phylogenetic neighbours, strain BOR-YT belongs to a novel genus of cluster XII of the clostridia, namely Soehngenia; the name Soehngenia saccharolytica is proposed for the type species (type strain BOR-YT=DSM 12858T=ATCC BAA-502T). Strain BR-10T reduced benzaldehyde to benzylalcohol. This conversion was coupled to growth. In a medium containing yeast extract, the presence of benzaldehyde resulted in the accumulation of more than twofold more cells. Strain BR-10T was a Gram-positive organism that was characterized by oval- or rod-shaped cells with oval ends, which occurred singly, in pairs or sometimes in chains. The strain was moderately thermophilic and grew between 20 and 60 °C, with optimum growth at 45 °C. The optimum pH for growth was between pH 7·0 and 7·5. Strain BR-10T grew on a wide range of carbon sources including carbohydrates, yeast extract, casein and some amino acids. The G+C content of its DNA was 32 mol%. As determined by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain BR-10T represents a novel species of cluster XIVa of the clostridia; the name Clostridium amygdalinum is proposed for this novel species (type strain BR-10T=DSM 12857T=ATCC BAA-501T). %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijs.0.02668-0