- Volume 62, Issue Pt_4, 2012

An irregular rod-shaped, non-gliding, yellow-pigmented bacterium was isolated from seawater from the western North Pacific Ocean near Japan. The strain, designated S1-66T, was Gram-negative, obligately aerobic, heterotrophic and oxidase-positive. Growth occurred in the presence of 1–4 % NaCl, with optimum growth at 2 % NaCl. The strain grew at 15–30 °C, with optimum growth at 20–25 °C. The G+C content of genomic DNA was 48.1 mol% (HPLC). The predominant isoprenoid quinone was MK-6 and the major cellular fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0 (26.4 %), iso-C15 : 1 (20.3 %) and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH (14.2 %). Phylogenetic trees generated by using 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain S1-66T belongs to the family Flavobacteriaceae and showed 94.2 % sequence similarity to the most closely related type strain, Ulvibacter antarcticus IMCC3101T. On the basis of phenotypic and phylogenetic features, S1-66T is classified in a novel genus and species within the family Flavobacteriaceae , for which the name Aureitalea marina gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Aureitalea marina is S1-66T ( = NBRC 107741T  = KCTC 23434T).

Strain WPAGA1T was isolated from marine sediment of the west Pacific Ocean. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the isolate belonged to the genus Flammeovirga . Strain WPAGA1T exhibited highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with Flammeovirga yaeyamensis NBRC 100898T (98.1 %) and lower sequence similarity with Flammeovirga arenaria IFO 15982T (94.6 %) and other members of the genus Flammeovirga (<94.2 %). DNA–DNA relatedness studies showed that strain WPAGA1T was distinct from F. yaeyamensis NBRC 100898T and F. arenaria NBRC 15982T (43±4 % and 32±2 % relatedness values, respectively). Strain WPAGA1T could be distinguished from all known members of the genus Flammeovirga by a number of phenotypic features. However, the dominant fatty acids of strain WPAGA1T (iso-C15 : 0, C16 : 0 and C20 : 4ω6,9,12,15c), the major polyamine (cadaverine) and the G+C content of the chromosomal DNA (32.9 mol%) were consistent with those of members of the genus Flammeovirga . Based on phenotypic and chemotaxonomic features and 16S rRNA gene sequences, strain WPAGA1T can be assigned to the genus Flammeovirga as a representative of a novel species, for which the name Flammeovirga pacifica sp. nov. is proposed; the type strain is WPAGA1T ( = CCTCC AB 2010364T = LMG 26175T = DSM 24597T = MCCC 1A06425T).

Among ballistoconidium-forming yeast strains isolated from various plant leaves collected from subtropical forests in eastern and central China, four strains forming cream to yellowish coloured colonies were revealed to represent three novel Derxomyces species by conventional and molecular characterization. Phylogenetic analysis based on combined sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and 26S rRNA gene D1/D2 domain showed that strains GT-753 and ZJJ-890T were conspecific and closely related to Derxomyces boninensis, Derxomyces mrakii and Derxomyces qinlingensis. Strain ZJJ-394T was basal to the branch formed by Derxomyces komagatae, Derxomyces pseudoschimicola and Derxomyces schimicola with strong bootstrap support. Strain GT-475T was closely related to Derxomyces linzhiensis. The strains differed significantly from their close relatives in D1/D2 and ITS sequences and in physiological criteria. Three novel species are proposed: Derxomyces amylogenes sp. nov. (type strain ZJJ-890T = CGMCC 2.4407T = CBS 12233T), Derxomyces bambusicola sp. nov. (type strain GT-475T = CGMCC 2.4411T = CBS 12234T) and Derxomyces corylopsis sp. nov. (type strain ZJJ-394T = CGMCC 2.4409T = CBS 12259T).

Cultures of a novel nutritionally specialized, fermentative yeast species were isolated from 34 water tanks of five bromeliad species, two mangrove sediment samples and one swamp water sample in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Sequence analysis of the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit of the rRNA gene showed that the novel species belongs to the genus Kazachstania. The novel species differs from Kazachstania martiniae by 11 substitutions and 2 gaps in the sequence of the domains D1/D2 of the LSU rRNA gene. The name Kazachstania bromeliacearum sp. nov. is proposed for the novel species. The type strain is IMUFRJ 51496T ( = CBS 7996T  = DBVPG 6864T  = UFMG BR-174T).

Two ochratoxin A (OTA)-producing Aspergillus isolates, recently collected from submerged riparian decomposing leaves in Italy, were found to have a similar morphology to Aspergillus cretensis (subgenus Circumdati, section Circumdati). However, marked differences emerged between these two novel isolates and A. cretensis as the former displayed different colony features and had larger vesicles, metulae, phialides and conidia, as well as a distinct sclerotial form and size. In order to determine the taxonomic status and to infer the evolutionary relationships of these two morphologically identical isolates, a molecular phylogenetic analysis was performed on all the officially recognized lineages in the section Circumdati. The DNA sequences and the deduced amino acid residues from the nuclear loci were analysed. Both rRNA and protein coding genes were assessed, which are widely used to differentiate taxa belonging to genus Aspergillus at various evolutionary levels. The 5.8S rDNA gene and internal transcribed spacers (ITS), the D1/D2 domains of the 28S rDNA gene, a region of the tubulin beta chain gene (benA) and part of the calmodulin gene (cmd) were amplified by PCR and then sequenced. The analysis of the rRNA regions and of the benA and cmd sequence data indicated that the two isogenic isolates belonged to a genetically distinct OTA-producing species of the genus Aspergillus. The isolates are proposed as representing a novel species, Aspergillus affinis sp. nov., with the type strain ATCC MYA-4773T ( = CBS 129190 = 417). Phylogenetically, A. affinis sp. nov. appeared to be very closely related to A. cretensis, from which it could be distinguished by means of a morphological trait analysis.