- Volume 70, Issue 5, 2020

A Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, green-pigmented, aerobic and motile bacterium, strain R3-44T, was isolated from Arctic tundra soil. Stain R3-44T clustered closely with members of the genus Chitinimonas , which belongs to the family Burkholderiaceae , and showed the highest 16S rRNA sequence similarity to Chitinimonas naiadis AR2T (96.10%). Strain R3-44T grew optimally at pH 7.0, 28 °C and in the presence of 0–0.5 % (w/v) NaCl. The predominant respiratory isoprenoid quinone of strain R3-44T was identified as ubiquinone Q-8. The polar lipids consisted of phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, unidentified aminolipid and unidentified phospholipid. The main fatty acids were summed feature 3 (comprising C16 : 1  ω7c and/or C16 : 1  ω6c, 40.6 %) and C16 : 0 (29.3 %). The DNA G+C content of strain R3-44T was 60.8 mol%. On the basis of the evidence presented in this study, strain R3-44T represents a novel species of the genus Chitinimonas , for which the name Chitinimonas arctica sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain R3-44T (=CCTCC AB 2010422T=KCTC 72602T).

A Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped bacterium, strain H23T, was isolated from farmland soil sampled in Enshi City, Hubei Province, PR China. The isolate grew optimally at 28–32 °C, pH 8.0 and with 0.5 % (w/v) NaCl. Based on the results of 16S rRNA gene sequence and phylogenetic analyses, strain H23T belonged to the genus Luteimonas with the highest degree of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Luteimonas cucumeris Y4T (97.41 %). The DNA G+C content was 65.88 mol%. The average nucleotide identity and the Genome-to-Genome Distance Calculator results also showed low relatedness (below 95 and 70 %, respectively) between strain H23T and type strains in the genus Luteimonas . Ubiquinone-8 was the predominant quinone. The major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C16 : 0, iso-C17 : 0 and iso-C17 : 1 ω9c. Polar lipids were dominated by diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and unidentified phospholipids. Low digital DNA–DNA hybridization values, as well as physiological and biochemical differences, such as no casein hydrolysis, being catalase-negative, and tesing positive for cystine arylamidase, α-chymotrypsin and N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase, could distinguish strain H23T from its closely related species. Strain H23T is considered to represent a novel species in the genus Luteimonas , for which the name Luteimonas gilva sp. nov. is proposed, with strain H23T (=CCTCC AB 2019255T=KCTC 72593T) as the type strain.

A novel Gram-staining-negative, spiral-shaped bacterium, designated strain 64-1T, was isolated from oil reservoir water collected from Liaohe oilfield, north-eastern China. Growth occurred at 15–55 °C and pH 6.0–10.0. The sole respiratory quinone was Q-10. The predominant cellular fatty acids were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1  ω7c /C18 : 1  ω6c), C16 : 0 and C19 : 0 cyclo ω8c. The polar lipids consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylcholine (PC), an unidentified aminophospholipid (UAPL), an unidentified aminolipid (UAL) and two unidentified polar lipids (UPL). The genomic DNA G+C content of strain 64-1T was 64.5 mol%. Strain 64-1T shared the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities with Phaeospirillum chandramohanii JA145T (92.0 %) and Telmatospirillum siberiense 26-4b1T (91.8 %). In the phylogenetic trees, the strain constituted a sub-cluster within the family Rhodospirillaceae . Based on the results of morphological, physiological, biochemical and phylogenetic analysis, strain 64-1T represents a new species of a novel genus within the family Rhodospirillaceae , for which the name Oleiliquidispirillum nitrogeniifigens gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 64-1T (=CGMCC 1.16798T=LMG 31399T).

Two Gram-stain-negative, short rod-shaped and non-flagellated strains, designated 17-4AT and L52-1-41, were isolated from the surface seawater of the Indian Ocean and South China Sea, respectively. The 16S rRNA genes of the two strains shared sequence similarity of 99.45 %. Strain 17-4AT shared the highest 16S rRNA gene similarity of 98.02 % with Pusillimonas caeni EBR-8-1T, followed by Pusillimonas noertemannii BN9T (97.47 %), Pusillimonas soli MJ07T (96.93 %), Parapusillimonas granuli Ch07T (96.68 %), Pusillimonas ginsengisoli DCY25T (96.65 %), Eoetvoesia caeni PB3-7BT (96.63 %), Paracandidimonas caeni 24T (96.34 %), Castellaniella defragrans 54PinT (96.28 %) and Pusillimonas harenae B201T (96.05 %). L52-1-41 shared the highest 16S rRNA gene similarity of 97.74 % with Pusillimonas caeni EBR-8-1T, followed by Pusillimonas noertemannii BN9T (97.47 %), Pusillimonas soli MJ07T (96.65 %), Parapusillimonas granuli Ch07T (96.41 %), Pusillimonas ginsengisoli DCY25T (96.37 %), Eoetvoesia caeni PB3-7BT (96.35 %), Pusillimonas harenae B201T (96.28 %), and Paracandidimonas caeni 24T (96.06 %). The results of phylogenetic analyses indicated that 17-4AT and L52-1-41 formed a stable, distinct and highly supported lineage affiliated to the genus Pusillimonas . The results of the digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) and average nucleotide identity (ANI) analyses indicated that they represented a single species. They featured similar genomic DNA G+C contents of 53.2–53.4 mol%. Activities of catalase and oxidase were negative for both strains. The fatty acids patterns of 17-4AT and L52-1-41 were most similar, mostly comprised of C16 : 0, C17 : 0cyclo, C18 : 0, C18 : 1ω9c and summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω7c and/or C18 : 1  ω6c). The major polar lipids of the two strains were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol and unidentified aminolipids. The respiratory quinone of the two strains was Q-8. Hence, on the basis of the phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genotypic data presented in this study, we proposed the classification of both strains as representatives of a novel species named Pusillimonas maritima sp. nov., with the type strain 17-4AT (=MCCC 1A12670T=KCTC 62121T=NBRC 113794T), and another strain L52-1-41 (=MCCC 1A05046=KCTC 52313).

A bacteria strain, designated CFH 90008T, was isolated from a salt lake sediment sample collected from Yuncheng city, Shanxi Province, PR China. Strain CFH 90008T was Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, motile with lateral flagella and rod-shaped. Colonies were yellow, circular and smooth. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain CFH 90008T belonged to the genus Halomonas , showing highest sequence similarity to Halomonas daqingensis DQD2-30T (98.6 %), Halomonas saliphila LCB169T (98.5 %), Halomonas desiderata FB2T (98.1 %) and Halomonas kenyensis AIR-2T (98.0 %). Good growth was observed at 10–50 °C, pH 6.0–9.0 and with NaCl concentration from 1.0 to 12.0 % (w/v). The predominant quinone was Q9. The major fatty acid (>10 %) was C18 : 1 ω7c, C16 : 0 and C16 : 1 ω7c. The genome of strain CFH 90008T was 4.36 Mbp with a genomic DNA G+C content of 66.7 mol%. Based on low average nucleotide identity and DNA–DNAhybridization results, chemotaxonomic characteristics, and differential physiological properties, strain CFH 90008T could not be classified into any recognized species of the genus Halomonas . Therefore, a new species, for which the name Halomonas lactosivorans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CFH 90008T (=DSM 103220T=KCTC 52281T).

A Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, facultative anaerobic bacterium, designated strain 3539T, was isolated from coastal sediment of Weihai, PR China. Optimal growth occurred at 28 °C, pH 7.5–8.0 and in the presence of 3.0 % (w/v) NaCl. Results of phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain 3539T formed a robust clade with members of the genus Marinicella and was closely related to Marinicella litoralis JCM 16154T, Marinicella sediminis F2T and Marinicella pacifica sw153T with 97.7, 96.2 and 95.4 % sequence similarity, respectively. The average amino acid identity, percentage of conserved proteins, average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values between strain 3539T and M. litoralis JCM 16154T were 64.9, 68.3, 72.8 and 18.9 %, respectively. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain 3539T was 42.0 mol%. The dominant respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-8, and the major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0 and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1  ω7c/C16 : 1  ω6c). The polar lipids of strain 3539T consisted of phosphatidyldimethylethanolamine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, one unidentified aminophospholipid, one unidentified lipid and three unidentified phospholipids. Based on the combination of phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic data, strain 3539T is considered to represent a novel species within the genus Marinicella in he family Alcanivoracaceae , for which the name Marinicella rhabdoformis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the new species is 3539T (=KCTC 72414T=MCCC 1H00388T).

An endophytic member of the genus Trichoderma was isolated from the root of a healthy 3-year-old Panax notoginseng in Yunnan province, PR China. The results of phylogenetic analyses based on a combined of ITS, tef1 and rpb2 indicated that this isolate was distinct from other species of the genus Trichoderma and closely related to Trichoderma songyi. It can be distinguished from T. songyi by its slower growth rates on PDA and colony morphology. The novel isolate formed conidia in thick white pustules scattered mostly at the margin. Its conidiophores tended to be regularly verticillium-like, little branched, sometimes substituted by phialides singly or in whorls. Conidia are smooth, mostly broadly subglobose to ellipsoidal. In combination with the genotypic and phenotypic characteristics, all data demonstrated that the fungus studied represented a unique and distinguishable novel species of the genus Trichoderma, for which the name Trichoderma panacis sp. nov. is proposed.

Kluyveromyces osmophilus, a single-strain species isolated from Mozambique sugar, has been treated a synonym of Zygosaccharomyces mellis. Analyses of D1/D2 LSU rRNA gene sequences confirmed that the species belongs to the genus Zygosaccharomyces but showed it to be distinct from strains of Z. mellis. During studies of yeasts associated with stingless bees in Brazil, nine additional isolates of the species were obtained from unripe and ripe honey and pollen of Scaptotrigona cfr. bipunctata, as well as ripe honey of Tetragonisca angustula. The D1/D2 sequences of the Brazilian isolates were identical to those of the type strain of K. osmophilus CBS 5499 (=ATCC 22027), indicating that they represent the same species. Phylogenomic analyses using 4038 orthologous genes support the reinstatement of K. osmophilus as a member of the genus Zygosaccharomyces. We, therefore, propose the name Zygosaccharomyces osmophilus comb. nov. (lectotype ATCC 22027; MycoBank no. MB 833739).

During a survey of fungi in native forests in Chile, several unidentified isolates of Diaporthe were collected from different hosts. The isolates were characterized based on DNA comparisons, morphology, culture characteristics and host affiliation, in accordance with previous descriptions. Phylogenetic analysis of the ITS region, combined with partial tub2 and tef1 genes, showed that the isolates formed three distinct groups representing three new taxa. The three new species of Diaporthe, Diaporthe araucanorum on Araucaria araucana, Diaporthe foikelawen on Drimys winteri and Diaporthe patagonica on Aristotelia chilensis are described and illustrated in the present study.

Five cyanobacterial strains with Nostoc -like morphology from different localities of the Mazandaran province of Iran were characterized using a polyphasic approach. Three strains clustered within the Aliinostoc clade whereas one each of the remaining two strains clustered within the genera Desmonostoc and Desikacharya . The phylogenetic positioning of all the strains by the bayesian inference, neighbour joining and maximum parsimony methods inferred using 16S rRNA gene indicated them to represent novel species of the genera Aliinostoc , Desmonostoc and Desikacharya . The 16S–23S ITS secondary structure analysis revealed that all five strains under study represented novel species unknown to science. In accordance with the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants we describe three novel species of the genus Aliinostoc and one species each of the genera Desmonostoc and Desikacharya .

During a survey of endophytic fungi in aquatic plants collected from Tibet, PR China, a novel species, Ramichloridium endophyticum, was isolated from Potamogeton pectinatus. This novel species differs from other species of the genus Ramichloridium by its finely verrucose, obovoid, ellipsoidal–obovoid and occasionally subglobose conidia. Phylogenetic analysis of the combined sequences of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) and the translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene (tef1-α) confirmed that the isolated strain represents a member of the genus Ramichloridium. A full description, illustrations and a phylogenetic tree showing the position of R. endophyticum are provided.

Plants are important reservoirs of described and undescribed species of yeast. During a study of yeasts associated with bromeliads from the Northeast region of Brazil (collected in 2013–2017), analysis of the D1/D2 domain of the LSU rRNA and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region identified eleven strains of yeasts as representing an unknown species of the genus Vishniacozyma. The species may have a diverse habitat in Brazil as a strain was collected from a flowering plant (Acanthaceae) in 1994. As a consequence, we propose Vishniacozyma alagoana sp. nov. as a member of the tremellomycetes yeasts (Agaricomycotina, Basidiomycota). Vishniacozyma alagoana sp. nov. was found in Atlantic Forest (a tropical rainforest) and the Caatinga (a seasonally dry tropical forest) associated with bromeliads in northeast and southeastern Brazil. The proposed novel species is related to Vishniacozyma taibaiensis and distinguished by eight nucleotide substitutions in the D1/D2 domain and seventeen in the ITS region. In addition, Vishniacozyma alagoana sp. nov. differs from V. taibaiensis by the ability to assimilate ribitol. The holotype is CBS 15966T.

This study describes a novel fungal species belonging to the genus Gongronella. During a previous work focusing on metalaxyl degradation by Mucorales strains, two isolates from vineyard soil samples collected in the Alentejo region, south Portugal, were identified as a putative novel species based on combined molecular and MALDI-TOF MS data. This new species is described here using a polyphasic approach that combines morphology, internal transcribed spacer of ribosomal DNA (ITS) and 28S ribosomal DNA (LSU) sequence data analysis and proteomic profiling by MALDI-TOF MS. Phenotypic and molecular data enabled this novel species to be clearly distinguished from other Gongronella species with results of combined ITS+LSU analysis showing that the Gongronella species is related to Gongronella butleri and Gongronella brasiliensis. Therefore, from the results of morphological and molecular analyses, isolates MUM 10.262 and MUM 10.263 seem to represent a new Gongronella species and the name Gongronella eborensis sp. nov. is proposed, with the ex-type strain MUM 10.262 (=CCMI 1100=CBS 128763).

During studies on the endophytic yeast communities associated with fruits from Vietnam, three fermenting yeast strains were isolated from fruits of the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). Phylogenetic analysis based on the sequences of the ITS regions and D1/D2 domains of the large subunit rRNA gene showed that these strains represented a single species of the Yamadazyma clade that was distinct from the other related species. The new species represented a basal branch of the clade formed by the Yamadazyma species i.e. Y. insecticola and Y. takamatsuzukensis. Based on the phylogenetic analysis and phenotypic characteristics, the studied strains were assigned to a novel species of the genus Yamadazyma, for which the name Yamadazyma cocois f.a., sp. nov. is proposed. The holotype is VCIM 4241, with the ex-type cultures VTCC 920004=VKM Y-3049=KBP Y-6091 code 17–68. The MycoBank number is MB 834435.

The genus Izhakiella was established and designated as a member of the family Enterobacteriaceae in 2016. Although the taxonomical classification of most members in this family has been relatively resolved after two reclassifications in 2016 and 2017, the classification of the genus Izhakiella remains ambiguous. In this study, a polyphasic approach was used to provide evidence supporting the fact that the genus Izhakiella should no longer be considered a member of Enterobacteriaceae and proposes its reclassification into the family Erwiniaceae . The phylogenetic tree of type species in the families Enterobacteriaceae and Erwiniaceae based on the sequences of the 16S rRNA gene, rpoB housekeeping gene, and the whole-genome comprising the 92 core genes revealed that the genus Izhakiella forms a phylogenetic lineage within the family Erwiniaceae . The average nucleotide identity (ANI) value of the type species with genus Izhakiella was found to be higher for the family Erwiniaceae than that for the family Enterobacteriaceae . Notably, 12 conserved signature indels (CSIs) that are exclusively shared among the Erwiniaceae clade members were found in the type strains of the genus Izhakiella . Based on these analyses, this study suggests the reclassification of I. capsodis and I. australiensis into the family Erwiniaceae .

This study was conducted to clarify the taxonomic status of the species Pseudomonas fuscovaginae and Pseudomonas shirazica . Whole genome sequences for the type strains of P. fuscovaginae and P. shirazica were compared against the closely related type strains of the Pseudomonas putida group and the Pseudomonas fluorescens group species. Average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values between P. fuscovaginae LMG 2158T and Pseudomonas asplenii ATCC 23835T were 98.4 and 85.5 %, and between P. shirazica VM14T and Pseudomonas asiatica RYU5T were 99.3 and 95.3 %. These values were greater than recognized thresholds for bacterial species delineation, indicating that they belong to the same genomospecies, respectively. Therefore, P. fuscovaginae and P. shirazica should be reclassified as later heterotypic synonyms of P. asplenii and P. asiatica , respectively.

A polyphasic taxonomic study was undertaken to clarify the exact position of the type strain cai42T of the species Defluviimonas alba Pan et al. 2015. The results of the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that the two sequences from cai42T shared 99.6 and 99.7 % similarity to that of the type strain SP32T of the species Frigidibacter albus and formed a coherent clade in the phylogenetic tree. Whole genomic comparison between cai42T and SP32T yielded a digital DNA–DNA hybridization estimate of 36.3 %, an average nucleotide identity of 88.8 % and an average amino acid identity of 89.8 %, clearly indicating that the two strains should belong to two genospecies of the same genus. The close relationship between the two strains was underpinned by the results of genome-based phylogenetic analysis. Although cai42T and SP32T shared similar physiological and biochemical properties, some striking differences, such as mobility, the temperature range for growth and the polar lipid components, could distinguish them as separate species. Therefore, the comparative phenotypic and genotypic analyses supported the incorporation of Defluviimonas alba into the genus Frigidibacter as Frigidibacter mobilis nom. nov. with the type strain cai42T (=CGMCC 1.12518T=LMG 27406T).