- Volume 67, Issue 7, 2017

Three light-brown-coloured, Gram-stain-negative, small rod- to oval-shaped, motile bacteria were isolated from lagoon sediments collected from North Carolina, USA. The strains (S1T, AS3 and AS6) grew aerobically at 13–42 °C (optimum, 30–35 °C) and pH 6.5–9.1 (optimum, pH 7.0–7.5). All three strains were positive for catalase and oxidase activity, and no added NaCl was required for growth. C18 : 1ω6c/C18  : 1ω7c, C16 : 1ω6c/C16  : 1ω7c, C18 : 1ω7c 11-methyl and C16 : 0 were the predominant fatty acids (>5 %). Diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine and an unidentified glycolipid were the major polar lipids. The genomic DNA G+C content of strains S1T, AS3 and AS6 was 70.5, 70.1 and 70.8 mol%, respectively. Strain S1T showed 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 99.1 % with Roseomonas rubra S5T, 98.7 % with Roseomonas rhizosphaerae YW11T, 98.5 % with Roseomonas cervicalis E7107T, 97.8 % with Roseomonas aestuarii JC17T, 97.2 % with Roseomonas oryzae JC288T, 97.2 % with Roseomonas ludipueritiae 170/96Tand <97 % with other members of the genus Roseomonas . Strains AS3 and AS6 shared 99.9 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with strain S1T. DNA–DNA hybridization values among strains S1T, AS3 and AS6 were >89 %, while all the three strains showed <56 % relatedness with the most closely related type strains. Distinct phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic differences from the previously described taxa support the classification of strain S1T as a representative of a novel species in the genus Roseomonas , for which the name Roseomonas suffusca sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is S1T (=KEMB 563-465T=JCM 31176T). Strains AS3 and AS6 serve as additional strains of the newly proposed species.

A taxonomic study was conducted on strain soj2014T, which was isolated from the surface water of a polynya in the Antarctic Sea. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain soj2014T belongs to the family Kiloniellaceae and is closely related to Kiloniella spongiae MEBiC09566T, ‘ Kiloniella litopenaei ’ P1-1T and Kiloniella laminariae LD81T (98.0 %, 97.8 % and 96.2 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, respectively). The DNA–DNA hybridization values between strain soj2014T and closely related strains were below 28.6 %. The G+C content of the genomic DNA of strain soj2014T was 45.5 mol%. The predominant cellular fatty acids were summed feature 8 (composed of C18 : 1ω6c/C18  : 1ω7c, 57.0 %) and summed feature 3 (composed of C16 : 1ω6c/C16  : 1ω7c, 23.5 %). Strain soj2014T was Gram-stain-negative, slightly curved, spiral-shaped, and motile with a single polar flagellum. The strain grew at 0–30 °C (optimum, 25 °C), in 1.5–5.1 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 2.1–2.4 %) and at pH 5.5–9.5 (optimum, 7.5–8.0). It also had differential carbohydrate utilization traits and enzyme activities compared with closely related strains. Based on these phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic analyses, strain soj2014T represents a distinct species, separable from the reference strains, and is, therefore, proposed as a novel species, Kiloniella antarctica sp. nov. The type strain is soj2014T (=KCTC 42186T=JCM 30386T).

A bacterial strain designated STM-14T was isolated from a spring in Taiwan and characterized using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Strain STM-14T was a Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, poly-β-hydroxybutyrate-accumulating, non-motile, rod-shaped bacterium and formed cream-coloured colonies. Strain STM-14T grew at 15–37 °C (optimum, 30 °C), at pH 5.0–9.0 (optimum, pH 6.0) and with 0–0.5 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0 %). Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain STM-14T belonged to the genus Novosphingobium and showed the highest levels of sequence similarity to Novosphingobium naphthae D39T (98.5 %) and Novosphingobium mathurense SM117T (97.6 %). The major fatty acids (>10 %) of strain STM-14T were C17 : 1ω6c, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c), C18 : 1ω7c, C15 : 0 2-OH and C17 : 1ω8c. The polar lipid profile consisted of phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidyldimethylethanolamine, sphingoglycolipid, phosphatidylcholine and several uncharacterized lipids. The major polyamine was spermidine. The major isoprenoid quinone was Q-10. The DNA G+C content was 66.6 mol%. The DNA–DNA hybridization value for strain STM-14T with N. naphthae JCM 31158T and N. mathurense DSM 23374T was less than 49 %. Differential phenotypic properties, together with the phylogenetic inference, demonstrate that strain STM-14T should be classified as representing a novel species of the genus Novosphingobium , for which the name Novosphingobium fontis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is STM-14T (=BCRC 80924T=LMG 29290T=KCTC 42983T).

A Gram-reaction-negative, aerobic, non-motile, short-rod-shaped bacterium (THG-T2.31T) was isolated from the rhizosphere of Mugunghwa (Hibiscus syriacus). Growth occurred at 10–35 °C (optimum 28 °C), at pH 5.0–8.0 (optimum pH 7.0) and with 0–4.0 % NaCl (optimum 1.0 %). Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the nearest phylogenetic neighbours of strain THG-T2.31T were identified as Paracoccus marcusii DSM 11574T (98.4 %), Paracoccus haeundaensis BC74171T (98.3 %), Paracoccus carotinifaciens E-396T (98.3 %), Paracoccus aestuarii B7T (97.3 %) and Paracoccus seriniphilus MBT-A4T (97.0 %); levels of similarity with the type strains of other species of the genus Paracoccus were lower than 97.0 %. The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmethylethanolamine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, one unidentified aminolipid and two unidentified phospholipids. The major fatty acids were C16 : 0, C18 : 0, C10 : 0 3-OH, and C18 : 1 ω7c. The quinone was ubiquinone-10 (Q-10). The DNA G+C content of strain THG-T2.31T was 69.1 mol%. DNA–DNA hybridization values between strain THG-T2.31T and P. marcusii DSM 11574T, P. haeundaensis BC74171T, P. carotinifaciens E-396T, P. aestuarii B7T and P. seriniphilus MBT-A4T were 38.9 % (34.9 %, reciprocal analysis), 29.1 % (23.5 %), 28.0 % (19.7 %), 18.9 % (9.3) and 13.1 % (6.2 %). On the basis of the phylogenetic analysis, chemotaxonomic data, physiological characteristics and DNA–DNA hybridization data, strain THG-T2.31T represents a novel species of the genus Paracoccus , for which the name Paracoccus hibiscisoli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is THG-T2.31T (=KACC 18933T=CCTCC AB 2016182T).

A Gram-reaction-negative, aerobic, oxidase- and catalase-positive, yellow-pigmented, non-flagellated, rod-shaped bacterium, designed strain SM1501T, was isolated from surface seawater of the South China Sea. SM1501T grew at 7–42 °C and with 0–11 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that SM1501T represented a member of the genus Erythrobacter , sharing the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (97.4 %) with Erythrobacter luteus and 94.2–96.5 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities to other species of the genus Erythrobacter with validly published names. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) value and in silico DNA–DNA hybridization value between SM1501T and E. luteus were only 74.6 and 20.0 %, respectively. The predominant cellular fatty acids of SM1501T were C17 : 1ω6c, C18 : 1ω7c and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or iso-C15 : 0 2-OH). The major polar lipids of the strain were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, sphingoglycolipid, diphosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylcholine and the main respiratory quinone of was Q-10. Polyphasic data presented in this paper support the notion that SM1501T represents a novel species in the genus Erythrobacter , for which the name Erythrobacter xanthus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Erythrobacter xanthus is SM1501T (=KCTC 42669T=CCTCC AB 2015396T).

Strain DMKU-PS11(1)T was isolated from peat in a swamp forest in Thailand. DNA sequence analysis showed that it belonged to a novel species that was most closely related to Nakazawaea laoshanensis. However, it differed from the type strain of N. laoshanensis (NRRL Y-63634T) by 2.3 % nucleotide substitutions in the D1/D2 region of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene, 1.0 % nucleotide substitutions in the small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene and 8.0 % nucleotide substitutions in the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. The phylogenetic analyses based on the combined sequences of the SSU and the D1/D2 region and that of the SSU sequences alone confirmed the placement of the novel species in the Nakazawaea clade and its close affinity with N. laoshanensis. Hence, the species Nakazawaea todaengensis f.a., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is DMKU-PS11(1)T (=CBS 14555T=TBRC 6559T). The MycoBank number for Nakazawaea todaengensis f.a., sp. nov. is MB 819513

Two strains, DMKU-LV83 and DMKU-LV85, of a novel yeast species were isolated from the phylloplane of vetiver grass collected in Thailand by plating of leaf washings. Analysis of the sequences of the D1/D2 region of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene showed that the two strains represent a single novel species and most closely related to Meira miltonrushii. However, the novel species differed from the type strain of M. miltonrushii (MCA 3882T) by 5.5 % nucleotide substitutions in the D1/D2 region and 8.9 % nucleotide substitutions in the ITS region. The phylogenetic analysis based on the D1/D2 region of the LSU rRNA gene confirmed the placement of the novel species in the Meira clade and its close affinity with M. miltonrushii. Therefore, the species Meira siamensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is DMKU-LV83T (=CBS 12860T=BCC 61180T).

Three strains representing a novel yeast species were isolated from rotten wood samples collected in Xishuangbanna Tropical Rainforest in Yunnan Province, PR China. Sequence analysis of the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions indicated that the novel species represented a member of the genus Deakozyma. The novel species was related most closely to the type strain of Deakozyma indianensis but they differed by 5.8 % sequence divergence (20 substitutions and 5 gaps) in the D1/D2 domain and by 12.2 % sequence divergence (27 substitutions and 15 gaps) in the ITS region. Interestingly, the novel yeast species was able to ferment glucose and sucrose in Durham tubes, a clear difference from its closest relative D. indianensis, the type species of the genus Deakozyma. The species name of Deakozyma yunnanensis sp. nov. is proposed to accommodate these strains, with NYNU 16742T (=CICC 33160T=CBS 14688T) designated the type strain. As the current description of the genus does not allow the inclusion of sugar fermenting species, the emendation of the diagnosis of the genus Deakozyma Kurtzman and Robnett is proposed.

Three strains representing a novel species of the Ogataea clade were isolated by W. T. Starmer and H. J. Phaff from rotting tissue of Opuntia phaeacantha in Arizona, USA. Analyses of the sequences of the D1/D2 LSU rRNA gene, ITS1-5.8S-ITS2, and translation elongation factor-1α (EF-1 α) showed that this novel species belongs to the Ogataea polymorpha complex formed by Ogataea angusta, Ogataea parapolymorpha and Ogataea polymorpha. The novel species differs from these species by 4–5 nucleotide substitutions in the D1/D2 domain, by 28–29 nucleotide substitutions in the EF-α gene and by 18–24 nucleotide substitutions and 2–5 indels in the ITS–5.8S region. The name Ogataea haglerorum sp. nov. is proposed for this novel species. The type strain is VKPM Y-2583T (=CBS 14645T=UCDFST 17-101T). The Mycobank number is MB 819772.