- Volume 67, Issue 9, 2017

A crude-oil-degrading, Gram-stain-positive actinobacterial strain, RIPIT, was isolated from a soil sample collected from an oil-contaminated mud pit in Khangiran oil and gas field, in the north-east of Iran. RIPIT was strictly aerobic, catalase- and oxidase-positive. The strain grew with 0–12.5 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum 3–5 %), at 25–55 °C (optimum 45 °C) and at pH 6.0–9.5 (optimum pH 7.0). The results of 16S rRNA gene sequence comparative analysis indicated that RIPIT represents a member of the genus Prauserella , with high phylogenetic similarity to Prauserella coralliicola SCSIO 11529T (97.5 %), Prauserella endophytica SP28S-3T (97.5 %) and Prauserella marina MS498T (97.2 %). DNA–DNA relatedness values between the novel strain and P. coralliicola DSM 45821T, P. endophytica DSM 46655T and P. marina DSM 45268T were 28 , 19 and 23 %, respectively. The cell wall peptidoglycan of RIPIT contained meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diamino acid and the whole-cell sugars are galactose and arabinose. The polar lipids pattern contained phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol and two unknown phospholipids. Its cellular fatty acids pattern consisted of C17 : 1ω6c, iso-C16 : 0 and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or iso-C15 : 0 2-OH), and the major respiratory quinone was MK-9(H4). The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 69 mol%. On the basis of polyphasic taxonomic data we propose that RIPIT represents a novel species of the genus Prauserella , for which the name Prauserella oleivorans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Prauserella oleivorans is RIPIT (=IBRC-M 10906T=LMG 28389T).

Little is known on members of the genus Amycolatopsis inhabiting acidic habitats. In this study, a moderately acidophilic Amycolatopsis strain, designated 2-5T, was isolated from coal mine soil, and subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic characterization. Analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the strain was most closely related to the type strain of Amycolatopsis bartoniae , sharing 99.30 % similarity, while similarity to all other Amycolatopsis species was less than 97 %. The DNA–DNA relatedness between the new isolate and the type strain of A. bartoniae was 56.5±0.7 %. The optimal pH range of the isolate for growth was 5.5–6.0, but growth also occurred at pH 4.5 and 7.5. The isolate tolerated up to 6 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0 %), and the temperature range for growth was 15–40 °C (optimum, 30 °C). The isolate was able to utilize most substrates tested for sole carbon sources, showing its metabolic versatility. The isolate exhibited antimicrobial activity against Serratia marcescens and weak antifungal activity against Fusarium proliferatum. The chemotaxonomic profiles of strain 2-5T included polar lipids containing phosphatidylethanolamine, phsphatidylmethylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylinositol dimannosides, fatty acids containing C17 : 1ω6c and iso-C16 : 0 as the major components, MK-9(H4) as the predominant menaquinone, and meso-diaminopimelic acid and arabinose, galactose, glucose and ribose as the diagnostic diamino acid and sugars in the cell wall. The combined phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genotypic analyses clearly indicated that the isolate merits recognition as represnting a novel species of Amycolatopsis , for which the name Amycolatopsis acidiphila sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 2-5T (=KCTC 39523T=JCM 30562T).

A novel Gram-stain-positive actinobacterium, designated HT7-17T, was isolated from a sediment sample collected from the estuary of the Tama River, Japan, and its taxonomic position was investigated using a polyphasic approach. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons revealed that strain HT7-17T was closely related to members of the genus Lysinimicrobium , with a similarity range of 97.1–98.2 %. The peptidoglycan type of strain HT7-17T was A4α, the predominant menaquinone was demethylmenaquinone DMK-9(H4) and the major fatty acids were anteiso-C15 : 0, C16 : 0 and iso-C16 : 0. The DNA G+C content was 69.9 mol%. These chemotaxonomic features corresponded to those of the genus Lysinimicrobium . Meanwhile, the differences in some phenotypic characteristics, along with the result of DNA–DNA hybridization, indicated that strain HT7-17T should be distinguished from the recognized species of the genus Lysinimicrobium . Therefore, strain HT7-17T represents a novel species of the genus Lysinimicrobium , for which the name Lysinimicrobium sediminis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HT7-17T (=NBRC 112286T=TBRC 7037T).

A novel coccus-shaped, Gram-stain-positive, non-motile and facultative aerobic bacterium, designated strain D7T301T, was isolated from the small intestine of a marten, Martes flavigula, which was killed on the road in Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea. Grown on a tryptic soy yeast agar plate, colonies had a creamy colour and irregular form. The new isolate formed a monophyletic clade with Vagococcus penaei CD276T on a phylogenetic consensus tree based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence. The isolate grew optimally at 37 °C and pH 7 in the presence of 0.5 % (w/v) NaCl. The isolate was catalase- and oxidase-negative. The cell-wall peptidoglycan was type A4α l-Lys-d-Asp. The major cellular fatty acids were C16 : 0, C14 : 0, and C16 : 1 ω9c. The predominant respiratory quinone was menaquinone MK-7 (85.1 %). The DNA G+C content based on genome sequencing was 33.8 mol%. The average nucleotide identity value obtained from comparative genomic analysis between strain D7T301T and V. penaei CIP 109914T was 72.6 %. On the basis of the phenotypic, phylogenetic, biochemical, chemotaxonomic, and genotypic analyses, Vagococcus martis is proposed as a novel species of the genus Vagococcus . The type strain is D7T301T (=KCTC 21069T=JCM 31178T).

An obligately anaerobic spirochaete (strain SY2T) was isolated from coastal marine sediments of Tongyeong-Si, South Korea. Strain SY2T was helical-shaped and Gram-stain-negative. Strain SY2T was able to grow at 10–40 °C (optima, 25–30 °C), pH 6.3–8.8 (optima, pH 7.0–8.0) and with 1–7 % (optimum, 2–3 %) NaCl concentration. Strain SY2T was negative for catalase and oxidase activity. The major end-products of glucose fermentation were acetate, ethanol, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. C14 : 0, C16 : 0, iso-C15 : 0, iso-C14 : 0 3-OH, iso-C15 : 1 H/C13 : 0 3-OH and iso-C17 : 1ω9c were predominant fatty acids (>5 %) with minor amounts (<5 %) of C18 : 0, iso-C13 : 0, iso-C17 : 0, iso-C17 : 1/anteiso-C17 : 1 B and C16 : 1ω6c/C16  : 1ω7c. Diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine were major polar lipids. The genomic DNA G+C content was 53.5 mol%. 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons indicated that strain SY2T represents a member of the family Spirochaetaceae in the phylum Spirochaetes . Strain SY2T has a sequence similarity of 95.1 % with Spirochaeta litoralis R1T and <90.1 % with other members of the genus Spirochaeta . Distinct morphological, physiological and genotypic differences from the previously described taxa support the classification of strain SY2T as a representative of a novel genus and species in the family Spirochaetaceae , for which the name Oceanispirochaeta sediminicola gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SY2T (=KEMB 3001-381T=DSM 104770T=KCTC 15593T). Reclassification of Spirochaeta litoralis as Oceanispirochaeta litoralis comb. nov. is also proposed based on polyphasic taxonomic analyses.

A Gram-stain-negative, oval- or short-rod-shaped and non-motile bacterial strain, designated KEM-3T, was isolated from water of Geumgang Estuary Bank, South Korea, and was subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. Strain KEM-3T grew optimally at pH 7.0–8.0, at 25 °C and in the presence of 2–3% (w/v) NaCl. The neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain KEM-3T fell within the clade comprising Altererythrobacter species, clustering with Altererythrobacter confluentis KEM-4T and Altererythrobacter gangjinensis KJ7T, with which it exhibited 97.3 and 96.0 % sequence similarity, respectively. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values between strain KEM-3T and the type strains of other Altererythrobacter species were 92.9–95.2 %. The DNA G+C content of strain KEM-3T was determined to be 59.0 mol% and its mean DNA–DNA relatedness with A. confluentis KEM-4T was 8.6±3.1 %. Strain KEM-3T contained Q-10 as the predominant ubiquinone and summed feature 8 (C18:1ω7c and/or C18:1ω6c), C17:1ω6c and summed feature 3 (C16:1ω6c and/or C16:1ω7c) as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, a sphingoglycolipid, an unidentified glycolipid and an unidentified phospholipid. Differential phenotypic properties, together with phylogenetic distinctiveness, demonstrated that strain KEM-3T is distinguishable from other Altererythrobacter species. On the basis of the data presented, strain KEM-3T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Altererythrobacter , for which the name Altererythrobacter aquiaggeris sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is KEM-3T (=KCTC 52471T=NBRC 112425T).

Sixteen isolates of Gram-reaction-negative, motile, violet-pigmented bacteria were isolated from Sphagnum bogs in West Virginia and Maine, USA. 16S rRNA gene sequences and fatty acid analysis revealed a high degree of relatedness among the isolates, and genome sequencing of two isolates, IIBBL 14B-1T and IIBBL 37-2 (from West Virginia and Maine, respectively), revealed highly similar genomic sequences. The average nucleotide identity (gANI) calculated for these two isolates was found to be in excess of 99 %, but did not exceed 88 % when comparing either isolate with genomic sequences of Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472T, C. haemolyticum DSM 19808T, C. piscinae ND17, C. subtsugae PRAA4-1T, C. vaccinii MWU205T or C. amazonense CBMAI 310T. Collectively, gANI and 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons suggested that isolates IIBBL 14B-1T and IIBBL 37-2 were most closely related to C. subtsugae , but represented a distinct species. We propose the name Chromobacterium sphagni sp. nov. for this taxon; the type strain is IIBBL 14B-1T (=NRRL B-67130T=JCM 31882T).

An aerobic Gram-stain-negative prosthecate bacterium, designated RMAR8-3T, was isolated from a marine red alga Rhodosorus marinus in the Republic of Korea. Cells were dimorphic rods with a single polar prostheca (non-motile) or flagellum (motile) showing catalase- and oxidase-positive reactions. Growth of strain RMAR8-3T was observed at 15–45 °C (optimum, 40 °C), at pH 6.0–9.0 (optimum, pH 7.0) and in the presence of 0–10 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 2 %). Ubiquinone-10 was detected as the sole isoprenoid quinone and C18 : 0, summed feature 8 (comprising C18 : 1  ω7c and/or C18 : 1ω6c), C17 : 0, C12 : 0 3-OH and C16 : 0 were identified as the major cellular fatty acids. The major polar lipids were sulfo-quinovosyldiacylglycerol, glucuronopyranosyldiglyceride and monoglycosyldiglyceride. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 66.3 mol%. Strain RMAR8-3T was most closely related to Marinicauda pacifica P-1 km-3T with a 97.6 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain RMAR8-3T formed a tight phylogenic lineage with M. pacifica P-1 km-3T within the family Hyphomonadaceae . On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and molecular features, strain RMAR8-3T clearly represents a novel species of the genus Marinicauda , for which the name Marinicauda algicola sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is RMAR8-3T (=KACC 18990T=JCM 31718T).

A novel Gram-staining-negative, spiral-shaped, pale-yellow, non-sporulating, motile, aerobic bacterium, designated strain AK56T, was isolated from a sediment sample collected at the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, India. Colonies on marine agar were circular, pale yellow, shiny, translucent, 1–2 mm in diameter, convex and had an entire margin. The major fatty acids included C16 : 1, C16 : 1 ω7 c/C16 : 1ω6c and C18 : 1ω7c. Polar lipids included diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, two unidentified aminolipids, one unidentified phospholipid and five unidentified lipids. DNA–DNA hybridization between strain AK56T and Oceanospirillum linum LMG 5214T and ‘ Oceanospirillum nioense ’ NIO-S6 showed relatedness values of 39.91 and 23.62 %, respectively. The DNA G+C content of strain AK56T was found to be 50.3 mol%. A sequence similarity search for the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that O. linum and O. nioense were the nearest phylogenetic neighbours, with a pair-wise sequence similarity of 98.9 and 98.2 %, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis also showed the formation of a cluster including strain AK56T with close relative O. linum and O. nioense . Based on the observed phenotypic, chemotaxonomic characteristics and phylogenetic analysis, strain AK56T is described in this study as a novel species in the genus Oceanospirillum , for which the name Oceanospirillum sanctuarii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Oceanospirillum sanctuarii is AK56T (=MTCC 12005T=JCM 19193T=KCTC 52973T).

An aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, non-spore-forming, non-flagellated, rod-shaped or filamentous bacterial strain, T16R-86T, was isolated from rhizosphere of a tomato plant collected from a farm on Buyeo-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea. It grew at the temperature range 10–37 °C (optimum, 28 °C) and pH range 6.0–9.0 (optimum, pH 7.0), and tolerated up to 2 % (w/v) NaCl. According to 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain T16R-86T shared the highest similarity with Chitinophaga barathri YLT18T (96.8 %) and C. pinensis DSM 2588T (96.7 %), forming a subcluster with C. barathri YLT18T, C. cymbidii R156-2T and C. niabensis JS13-10T in the phylogenetic tree. The major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, C16 : 1ω5c and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH. The predominant respiratory quinone was menaquinone MK-7. Polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, five unknown aminolipids, an unknown aminophospholipid, one unknown phospholipid and two unknown lipids. The DNA G+C content was 53.6 mol%. The phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic data showed that strain T16R-86T represents a novel species of the genus Chitinophaga , for which the name Chitinophaga rhizosphaerae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is T16R-86T (=KACC 18790T=JCM 31600T).

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, strictly aerobic bacterium designated BW11-2T was isolated from marine sediment of the south-west Indian Ocean. Cells of BW11-2T were rod-shaped, endospore-forming, 0.3–0.5 µm wide, 1.8–2.0 µm long, catalase-positive and oxidase-negative. The isolate was capable of growing at 15–45 °C (optimum 30 °C), pH 5–9 (optimum 7) and with 0.5–10 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum 3 %). Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities, BW11-2T was shown to belong to the family Bacillaceae within the phylum Firmicutes and formed a distinct lineage, showing the highest sequence similarities to closely related genera: Bacillus (93.9–94.7 %), Graci libacillus (93.3–93.7 %), Amphibacillus (93.5 %), Virgibacillu s (92.9–93.1 %) and Anaerobacillus (92.6–93.0 %). BW11-2T shared the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with the species Bacillus oleronius (94.7 %). The predominant fatty acids (>10 %) were anteiso-C15 : 0 and iso-C15 : 0. The major quinone was menaquinone-7 (MK-7). Major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and one unidentified aminolipid. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain BW11-2T was 43.3 mol%. On the basis of the morphological and chemotaxonomic characteristics as well as genotypic data, strain BW11-2T represents a novel genus and species in the family Bacillaceae , for which the name Swionibacillus sediminis gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. Strain BW11-2T (=CICC 24196T=JCM 31924T) is the type strain.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile and ovoid or rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated JSSK-8T, was isolated from the place where the ocean and a freshwater spring meet at Jeju Island, South Korea. Strain JSSK-8T grew optimally at pH 7.0–8.0, at 30 °C and in the presence of 2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. In a neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, strain JSSK-8T fell within the clade comprising the type strains of species of the genus Altererythrobacter . Strain JSSK-8T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 97.7 and 97.2 % to the type strains of Altererythrobacter aestiaquae and Altererythrobacter luteolus , respectively, and of 93.5–96.2 % to the type strains of the other species of the genus Altererythrobacter . Strain JSSK-8T contained Q-10 as the predominant ubiquinone and C18 : 1 ω7c, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω6c and/or C16 : 1ω7c), C17 : 1ω6c, C16 : 0 and 11-methyl C18 : 1 ω7c as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids detected in strain JSSK-8T were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and sphingoglycolipid. The DNA G+C content of strain JSSK-8T was 59.0 mol%, and its mean DNA–DNA relatedness values with the type strains of A . aestiaquae and A . luteolus were 13 and 16 %, respectively. Differential phenotypic properties, together with the phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain JSSK-8T is separated from recognized species of the genus Altererythrobacter . On the basis of the data presented, strain JSSK-8T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Altererythrobacter , for which the name Altererythrobacter aquaemixtae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is JSSK-8T (=KCTC 52763T=NBRC 112764T).

A Gram-stain-positive, non-motile, rod-shaped bacterium, designated TUM BP 140423000-2250T (=DSM 100836T=LMG 29073T), was isolated from spoiled beer. This bacterium did not form spores, and was catalase-negative and facultatively anaerobic. Its taxonomic position was determined in a polyphasic study. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity data showed that the strain belonged to the Lactobacillus genus with the nearest neighbours being Lactobacillus koreensis DCY50T (sequence similarity 99.5 %), Lactobacillus yonginensis THK-V8T (99.2 %) and Lactobacillus parabrevis LMG 11984T (98.7 %). Sequence comparisons of additional phylogenetic markers, pheS and rpoA, confirmed the 16S rRNA gene sequence tree topology. The maximum rpoA sequence similarity was 92.3 % with L. yonginensis THK-V8T. The DNA G+C content of the isolate was 50.0 mol%. The DNA–DNA relatedness showed that strain TUM BP 140423000-2250T could be clearly distinguished from L. koreensis DCY 50T (30.8±0.4 %) and L. yonginensis THK-V8T (23.6±5.9 %). The major fatty acids were C18 : 1ω9c, summed feature 7 (comprised of C19 : 0 cyclo ω10c/C19 : 1ω6c) and C16 : 0. Based on phenotypic and genotypic studies, the authors propose classifying the new isolate as a representative of a novel species of the genus Lactobacillus , Lactobacillus cerevisiae sp. nov. The type strain is deposited at the Research Centre Weihenstephan for Brewing and Food Quality as TUM BP 140423000-2250T (=DSM 100836T=LMG 29073T).

A novel Gram-stain-negative, chemolithoautotrophic sulfur oxidizer, strain JG42T, was isolated from a hot spring microbial mat. As an electron donor for autotrophic growth, strain JG42T utilized sulfide, thiosulfate, tetrathionate and elemental sulfur. Cells of strain JG42T were oxidase-positive and catalase-negative. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 65 mol%. The predominant cellular fatty acid was C16 : 0. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene indicated that strain JG42T belonged to the order Chromatiales , but sequence similarities to the known species were less than 94 %. On the basis of its properties, strain JG42T (=DSM 104776T=NBRC 112696T) is proposed as the type strain of a novel species of a new genus, Sulfurivermis fontis gen. nov., sp. nov., which belongs to the family Thioalkalispiraceae. A new family, Thioprofundaceae fam. nov., is also proposed to accommodate the genus Thioprofundum , transferred from the family Thioalkalispiraceae .

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, aerobic and rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated H-12T, was isolated from a sea squirt (Ciona savignyi) collected from Tsingtao Port, Jiaozhou Bay, China, and its taxonomic position was investigated. Strain H-12T grew optimally at 25–30 °C, at pH 7.0–8.0 and in the presence of 3.0–4.0 % (w/v) NaCl. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain H-12T exhibited the highest similarity to that of the type strain of Amylibacter marinus (95.3 %). A neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain H-12T clustered with the type strain of A. marinus . The predominant ubiquinone in strain H-12T was identified as Q-10. The major fatty acids of strain H-12T were C18 : 1ω7c and C18 : 1ω7c 11-methyl. The major polar lipids detected in strain H-12T were phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified aminolipid, two unidentified phospholipids and five unidentified lipids. The DNA G+C content of strain H-12T was 52.7 mol%. On the basis of phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic properties, strain H-12T is considered to represent a novel species within the genus Amylibacter , for which the name Amylibacter cionae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is H-12T (=KCTC 52581T=CGMCC 1.15880T).

A novel Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, non-motile and acid-fast actinomycete strain, designated CFH S0067T, was isolated from a soil sample collected from Heshun old town in Tengchong, Yunnan province, in south-west PR China. The taxonomic position of strain CFH S0067T was studied in detail using a polyphasic approach. Phylogenetic analysis, based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, revealed that strain CFH S0067T belongs to the genus Nocardia and is closely related to Nocardia concava JCM 12351T (99.3 % similarity), forming a separated branch with this type strain. However, the strain shared 96.0 % gyrB gene sequence similarity with N. concava JCM 12351T. Furthermore, DNA–DNA hybridization showed 56.5±0.6 % DNA relatedness between the novel strain and N. concava JCM 12351T. The whole-cell hydrolysates contained meso-diaminopimelic acid (type IV) and arabinose, galactose, fructose and mannose. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol mannoside and one unidentified lipid. Strain CFH S0067T contained MK-8 (H4ω-cycl) as the predominant menaquinone. C16 : 0, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c), C18 : 1ω9c and C18 : 0 10-methyl (TBSA) were the major cellular fatty acids. Mycolic acids were also detected. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was determined to be 66.9 mol%. A combination of the low DNA–DNA hybridization values and phenotypic properties demonstrated that strain CFH S0067Tis clearly distinguishable from its most closely related strain, N. concava JCM 12351T. On the basis of this polyphasic study, it is concluded that strain CFH S0067T should be considered to represent a novel species of the genus Nocardia , for which the name Nocardia heshunensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CFH S0067T (=DSM 46764T=JCM 30085T).

An extremely thermophilic, anaerobic, chemolithoautotrophic bacterium (strain ST65T) was isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney located on the Eastern Lau Spreading Centre in the south-western Pacific Ocean, at a depth of 1870 m. Cells of strain ST65T were non-motile straight or slightly curved short rods, 0.5–0.6 µm in diameter and 0.8–1.5 µm in length. The temperature range for growth was 47–75 °C, with an optimum at 65 °C. The pH range for growth was 5.5–7.5, with an optimum at pH 6.5. Growth of strain ST65T was observed at NaCl concentrations ranging from 1.5 to 4.5 % (w/v), with an optimum at 2.0–2.5 %. Strain ST65T grew anaerobically with inorganic carbon as a carbon source and with elemental sulfur as an electron donor and nitrate as an electron acceptor producing sulfate and ammonium. It was also able to grow by disproportionation of elemental sulfur, thiosulfate and sulfite. Sulfate was not utilized as an electron acceptor. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that the isolate belongs to a deep lineage in the phylum Thermodesulfobacteria . On the basis of its physiological properties and results of phylogenetic analyses, it is proposed that the isolate represents a novel species of a new genus, Thermosulfuriphilus ammonigenes gen. nov., sp. nov. ST65T (=DSM 102941T=VKM B-2855T) is the type strain of the type species.

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, aerobic and ovoid or rod-shaped bacterium, designated JSSK-17T, was isolated from the place where the ocean and a freshwater spring meet at Jeju island, South Korea. Strain JSSK-17T grew optimally at 30 °C, at pH 7.0–8.0 and in the presence of 1.0–2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic trees, based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, showed that strain JSSK-17T clustered with the type strains of Puniceibacterium antarcticum and Puniceibacterium sediminis , exhibiting sequence similarities of 98.1–98.2 %. Strain JSSK-17T and the type strains of P. antarcticum and P. sediminis contained Q-10 as the predominant ubiquinone and C18 : 1ω7c as the major fatty acid. The predominant polar lipids detected in strain JSSK-17T and the type strains of P. antarcticum and P. sediminis were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified aminolipid, one unidentified glycolipid and one unidentified phospholipid. The DNA G+C content of strain JSSK-17T was 64.4 mol% and its DNA–DNA relatedness values with the type strains of P. antarcticum and P. sediminis were 24 and 15 %, respectively. The differential phenotypic properties, together with the phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain JSSK-17T is separated from the two reference species of the genus Puniceibacterium with validly published names . On the basis of the data presented, strain JSSK-17T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Puniceibacterium , for which the name Puniceibacterium confluentis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is JSSK-17T (=KCTC 52765T=NBRC 112766T).

A bacterial strain designated TFL-3T was isolated from sediment of the Yangtze River in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China. Strain TFL-3T was Gram-staining-negative, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped and non-motile. Growth occurred at 10–40 °C (optimum 30 °C). Strain TFL-3T grew at pH 6.0–9.0 (optimum pH 7.0) and NaCl concentrations of 0–2.5 % (optimum 0.5 %). Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that strain TFL-3T belonged to the genus Chitinophaga and showed the highest sequence similarity to Chitinophaga barathri YLT18T (94.9 %). The DNA G+C content of strain TFL-3T was determined as 50.5±1.0 mol%. The major fatty acids (>10 %) were iso-C15 : 0, C16 : 1 ω5c and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω6c and/or C16 : 1 ω7c). The predominant respiratory ubiquinone was MK-7. The polar lipid profile consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, two unidentified aminolipids, two unidentified glycolipids and seven unidentified lipids. Based on the phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic data, strain TFL-3T represents a novel species in the genus Chitinophaga , for which the name Chitinophaga sedimenti sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TFL-3T (=ACCC 19966T=KCTC 52590T).

An alkaliphilic and moderately halophilic strain characterized by optimal growth at pH 9.0–10.0 and 7 % (w/v) NaCl, and designated B16-24T, was isolated from the rhizosphere soil of the bayonet grass Bolboschoenus maritimus at a soda pond in the Kiskunság National Park, Hungary. Cells of the strain were Gram-staining-positive, non-motile, straight rods, and formed central, ellipsoidal endospores with slightly swollen sporangia. The isolate was facultative anaerobic, catalase positive, oxidase negative, and contained a peptidoglycan of type A1γ based on meso-diaminopimelic acid. Menaquinone-7 (MK-7) was the predominant isoprenoid quinone, and anteiso-C15 : 0 the major cellular fatty acid. The DNA G+C content of strain B16-24T was 36.6 mol%. The 16S rRNA gene-based phylogenetic analysis revealed that the novel isolate had the greatest similarities to the type strains of Bacillus okhensis Kh10-101T (97.8 %), B. akibai 1139T (97.4 %), B. alkalisediminis K1-25T (97.3 %) and B. wakoensis N-1T (97.1 %). The DNA–DNA relatedness of strain B16-24T and the closely related Bacillus species ranged between 24±6 % and 35±3 %. The distinctive phenotypic and genetic results of this study confirmed that strain B16-24T represents a novel species within the genus Bacillus , for which the name Bacillus kiskunsagensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is B16-24T (=DSM 29791T=NCAIM B.02610T).