- Volume 71, Issue 3, 2021

A fast-growing, non-chromogenic, acid-fast-staining bacterium (DL90T) was isolated from a peat bog in northern Minnesota. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (99.8 % identity with Mycolicibacterium septicum and 98 % with Mycolicibacterium peregrinum ) and chemotaxonomic data (fatty acid content), strain DL90T represents a member of the genus Mycolicibacterium . Physiological tests (growth curves, biofilm formation, antibiotic sensitivity, colony morphologies and heat tolerance) and biochemical analysis (arylsulfatase activity and fatty acid profiles) distinguish DL90T from its closest relative M. septicum . Phylogenomic reconstruction of the ‘Fortuitium–Vaccae’ clade, digital DNA–DNA hybridization (DDH) values of 61 %, and average nucleotide identity (ANI) values of approximately 95 % indicate that DL90T is likely to be diverged from M. septicum . Thus, we propose that DL90T represents a novel species, given the name Mycolicibacterium nivoides with the type strain being isolate DL90T (=JCM 32796T=NCCB 100660T).

A Gram-stain-positive bacterium, strain RV15T, forming an extensively branched substrate mycelium and aerial hyphae that differentiate into spiral chains of spores, was isolated from a marine sponge Dysidea tupha collected from Rovinj (Croatia). Comparison of 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain RV15T is a member of the genus Streptomyces with highest sequence similarity to the type strains of Streptomyces caeruleatus (98.8 %), Streptomyces cyaneochromogenes (98.6 %) and Streptomyces shaanxiensis (98.5 %). Sequence similarities to all other Streptomyces types strains were below 98.5 %. The multilocus sequence analysis-based evolutionary distance, the average nucleotide identity value and the genome-to-genome distance of strain RV15T and the type strain of S. caeruleatus were clearly below the species cut-off values. Strain RV15T exhibited a quinone system composed of the major menaquinones MK-9(H4), MK-9(H6) and MK-9(H2), typical for the genus Streptomyces . The polar lipid profile of strain RV15T consisted of the predominant compounds diphosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine, moderate amounts of phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol mannoside, an unidentified lipid and an unidentified phospholipid. Major polyamines were spermine and spermidine. The diagnostic diaminoacid of the peptidoglycan was meso-diaminopimelic acid. The major fatty acids were iso C16 : 0, anteiso C17 : 1 ω9c and anteiso C17 : 0. The results of physiological and biochemical tests allowed further phenotypic differentiation of strain RV15T from its most-related species and hence clearly merits species status. We propose the name Streptomyces dysideae sp. nov. with the type strain RV15T (=DSM 42110T=LMG 27702T).

A novel endophytic actinomycete, designated strain Gen 01T, was isolated from the roots of Broussonetia papyrifera and characterized by using a polyphasic approach. The predominant cellular fatty acids were iso-C16 : 0, summed feature 3, iso H-C16 : 1, C16 : 0 and iso-C14 : 0. The polar lipid profile consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol mannosides, phospholipids of unknown structure containing glucosamine inositol, phosphatidylinositol and unidentified phospholipids. The major menaquinone was MK-8 (H4). The DNA G+C content of the genome sequence, consisting of 7 177 725 bp, was 74.5 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis of the full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain Gen 01T belongs to the genus Pseudonocardia with the highest sequence similarity to Pseudonocardia petroleophila CGMCC 4.1532T (98.9 %) and lower than 98.7 % similarity to other species of the genus Pseudonocardia with validly published names. The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNAhybridization values between strain Gen 01T and P. petroleophila CGMCC 4.1532T were 84.6 and 30.9 %, respectively. Furthermore, the morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics were sufficient to categorize strain Gen 01T as being distinct from P. petroleophila CGMCC 4.1532T. Consequently, based on phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, strain Gen 01T represents a novel species of the genus Pseudonocardia , for which the name Pseudonocardia broussonetiae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is Gen 01T (=CICC 24820T=JCM 33840T).

A novel actinobacterium, designated strain NEAU-D428T, was isolated from rhizosphere soil of wheat and characterized using a polyphasic approach. Morphological and chemotaxonomic characteristics of the strain coincided with members of the genus Microbispora . The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that the isolate was most closely related to Microbispora bryophytorum NEAU-TX2-2T (99.2 %). Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the strain clustered with Microbispora clausenae CLES2T (99.1 %), but formed a separate subclade in the phylogenomic tree within the genus Microbispora . The menaquinones were identified as MK-9(H4), MK-9(H2) and MK-9(H0). The phospholipid profile was found to consist of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, phosphatidylethanolamine, ninhydrin-positive glycophospholipid, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylinositol mannoside. The major fatty acids were identified as iso-C16 : 0, C16 : 0, 10-methyl C17 : 0 and C18 : 0. Digital DNA–DNA hybridization and average nucleotide identity values between strain NEAU-D428T and M. bryophytorum NEAU-TX2-2T, Microbispora camponoti 2C-HV3T, M. clausenae CLES2T, ‘Microbispora cellulosiformans’ Gxj-6T and Microbispora fusca NEAU-HEGS1-5T were 47.6 and 92.2 %, 47.5 and 92.2 %, 55.9 and 94.0 %, 33.1 and 86.8 %, and 33.6 and 87.1 %, respectively. These results and some physiological and biochemical properties demonstrated that the strain could be distinguished from its closest relatives. Therefore, it is proposed that strain NEAU-D428T should be classified as representative of a novel species of the genus Microbispora , for which the name Microbispora sitophila sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NEAU-D428T (=CGMCC 4.7523T=DSM 109822T).

A Gram-stain-positive, aerobic and rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated JH1-1T, was isolated from a forest soil sample collected in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea. Strain JH1-1T could grow at 10–35 °C (optimum, 28–30 °C), pH 4.5–8.5 and tolerated 5 % (w/v) NaCl. Strain JH1-1T was most closely related to members of the genus Arthrobacter , namely Arthrobacter alkaliphilus LC6T (98.5 % similarity), Arthrobacter methylotrophus TGAT (98.4 %), Arthrobacter ramosus CCM 1646T (97.8 %), Arthrobacter bambusae THG-GM18T (97.5 %) and Arthrobacter pokkalii P3B162T (97.3 %). The strain grew well on Reasoner's 2A agar, tryptone soya agar, nutrient agar, Mueller–Hinton agar and Luria–Bertani agar. The major polar lipid profile comprised phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, unidentified phospholipid and unidentified glycolipids. The major respiratory quinone was MK-9(H2). The main fatty acids were C15 : 0 anteiso, C15 : 0 iso, C16 : 0 iso and C17 :0 anteiso. The DNA G+C content of the isolated strain based on the whole genome sequence was 63.6 mol%. The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values between strain JH1-1T and its reference type strains ranged from 81.3 to 85.4 % and from 21.1 to 29.1 %, respectively. Based on phenotypic, chemotypic and genotypic evidence, strain JH1-1T could be differentiated phylogenetically and phenotypically from the recognized species of the genus Arthrobacter . Therefore, strain JH1-1T is considered to represent a novel species, for which the name Arthrobacter terricola sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is JH1-1T (=KACC 21385T=JCM 33641T).

A novel bacterium, designated strain ANT13_2T, was isolated from a phenanthrene-degrading consortium enriched from a soil sample collected near the Great Wall Station located in the southwestern area of King George Island, Antarctica. Following a polyphasic taxonomic study, a novel species belonging to the genus Paeniglutamicibacter was described. The strain was a Gram-stain-positive bacterium that exhibited a rod–coccus growth cycle. Strain ANT13_2T grew aerobically at an optimum temperature of 20–25 °C and at pH 7.0–8.0. Ribose, arabinose and glucose were detected as whole-cell sugars. The predominant menaquinone was MK-9. The diagnostic phospholipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and an unidentified phospholipid. The predominant cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C15 : 0 (67.7 %) and anteiso-C17 : 0 (11.2 %). The DNA G+C content of the genomic DNA was 60.6 mol%. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain ANT13_2T showed the highest similarities to Paeniglutamicibacter antarcticus SPC26T (98.9 %) followed by Paeniglutamicibacter gangotriensis Lz1yT (98.4 %), Paeniglutamicibacter sulfureus DSM 20167T (98.3%) and Paeniglutamicibacter kerguelensis KGN15T (97.9 %). The average nucleotide identity values between strain ANT13_2T and the type strains of P. antarcticus SPC26T and P. gangotriensis Lz1yT were 73.8 and 77.5 %, respectively, which are well below the 95–96 % species circumscription threshold. On the basis of this polyphasic taxonomic study, strain ANT13_2T is proposed to represent a novel species to be named Paeniglutamicibacter terrestris sp. nov. The type strain is ANT13_2T (=TBRC 11756T=NBRC 114615T).

A novel actinomycete, strain SMC 257T, was isolated from a soil sample collected from mountain forest, Nan Province, Thailand. Strain SMC 257T formed tightly closed spiral spore chains on aerial mycelia. A polyphasic approach was used for the taxonomic study of this strain. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain SMC 257T belonged to the genus Nonomuraea , and the closest phylogenetically related species were Nonomuraea roseoviolacea subsp. carminata JCM 9946T (98.9 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity), Nonomuraea rhodomycinica TBRC 6557T (98.4 %), and Nonomuraea roseoviolacea subsp. roseoviolacea JCM 3145T (98.3 %). Genome sequencing revealed a genome size of 9.76 Mbp and a G+C content of 72.3 mol%. The genome average nucleotide identity (ANI) and the digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) values that distinguished this novel strain from its closest related species were species boundary of 95–96 % and 70 %, respectively. The cell wall peptidoglycan contained meso-diaminopimelic acid. The whole-cell sugars were glucose, ribose, madurose and mannose. The major menaquinone was MK-9(H4). The polar lipid profile consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, hydroxyphosphatidylethanolamine, lysophosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, N-phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylinositol mannosides. The predominant cellular fatty acids were C17 : 0 10-methyl and iso-C16 : 0. Based on comparative analysis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genotypic data, strain SMC 257T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Nonomuraea , for which the name Nonomuraea montanisoli is proposed. The type strain is SMC 257T (=TBRC 13065T=NBRC 114772T).

Four Gram-stain-positive, catalase-negative, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped bacterial strains (zg-325T, zg329, dk561T and dk752) were isolated from the respiratory tract of marmot (Marmota himalayana) and the faeces of Tibetan gazelle (Procapra picticaudata) from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of PR China. The results of 16S rRNA gene sequence-based phylogenetic analyses indicated that strains zg-325T and dk561T represent members of the genus Actinomyces , most similar to Actinomyces denticolens DSM 20671T and Actinomyces ruminicola B71T, respectively. The DNA G+C contents of strains zg-325T and dk561T were 71.6 and 69.3 mol%, respectively. The digital DNA–DNA hybridization values of strains zg-325T and dk561T with their most closely related species were below the 70 % threshold for species demarcation. The four strains grew best at 35 °C in air containing 5 % CO2 on brain heart infusion (BHI) agar with 5 % sheep blood. All four strains had C18:1ω9c and C16:0 as the major cellular fatty acids. MK-8 and MK-9 were the major menaquinones in zg-325T while MK-10 was predominant in dk561T. The major polar lipids included diphosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylinositol. On the basis of several lines of evidence from phenotypic and phylogenetic analyses, zg-325T and dk561T represent novel species of the genus Actinomyces , for which the name Actinomyces marmotae sp. nov. and Actinomyces procaprae sp. nov. are proposed. The type strains are zg-325T (=GDMCC 1.1724T=JCM 34091T) and dk561T (=CGMCC 4.7566T=JCM 33484T). We also propose, on the basis of the phylogenetic results herein, the reclassification of Actinomyces liubingyangii and Actinomyces tangfeifanii as Boudabousia liubingyangii comb. nov. and Boudabousia tangfeifanii comb. nov., respectively.

A novel actinobacterium, designated strain NEAU-351T, was isolated from cow dung collected from Shangzhi, Heilongjiang Province, northeast PR China and characterized using a polyphasic approach. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain NEAU-351T belonged to the genus Nocardia , with the highest similarity (98.96 %) to Nocardia takedensis DSM 44801T and less than 98.0 % identity with other type strains of the genus Nocardia . The polar lipids consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol. The major menaquinone was observed to contain MK-8(H4, ω-cycl) (78.2 %). The fatty acid profile mainly consisted of C16 : 0, C18 : 1  ω9c and 10-methyl C18 : 0. Mycolic acids were present. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain NEAU-351T was 68.1 mol%. In addition, the average nucleotide identity values between strain NEAU-351T and its reference strains, Nocardia takedensis DSM 44801T and Nocardia arizonensis NBRC 108935T, were found to be 81.4 and 82.9 %, respectively, and the level of digital DNA–DNA hybridization between them were 24.8 % (22.5–27.3 %) and 26.3 % (24–28.8 %), respectively. Here we report on the taxonomic characterization and classification of the isolate and propose that strain NEAU-351T represents a new species of the genus Nocardia , for which the name Nocardia bovistercoris is proposed. The type strain is NEAU-351T (=CCTCC AA 2019090T=DSM 110681T).

A novel actinobacterium, designated strain NEAU-AAG5T, was isolated from sandy soil collected from Niuwang island in Sanya, Hainan Province, PR China. The taxonomic position of the strain was investigated using a polyphasic approach. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain NEAU-AAG5T belongs to the genus Actinomadura and shared highest sequence similarity with Actinomadura macra NBRC 14102T (98.8 %). Strain NEAU-AAG5T grows at 20–40 °C (optimum, 28 °C), pH 6–10 (optimum, pH 7) and has NaCl tolerance of 0–3 %. The menaquinones were identified as MK-9(H4) (4.2 %), MK-9(H6) (49.2 %) and MK-9(H8) (46.5 %). The major fatty acids were C16 : 0 (31.4 %), 10-methyl C18 : 0 (21.3 %) and C18 : 1  ω9c (15.7 %). The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositolmannoside, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphoglycolipid. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain NEAU-AAG5T based on whole genome sequences was 72.8 mol%. Digital DNA–DNA hybridization between strain NEAU-AAG5T and its closest phylogenetic neighbour, A. macra NBRC 14102T, resulted in similarity value of 28.0 % (<70 %). Additionally, the average nucleotide identity was 84.2 % for A. macra NBRC 14102T. On the basis of phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic data, strain NEAU-AAG5T can be characterized to represent a novel species of the genus Actinomadura , for which the name Actinomadura litoris sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NEAU-AAG5T (=JCM 33456T=CCTCC AA 2019043T).

Two novel Actinobacteria , designated strains YC419T and YC504T, were isolated from a sediment sample collected from Lake Yeniçağa, Bolu Province, Turkey. Chemotaxonomic and morphological characteristics of isolates were found to be typical of members of the genus Streptomyces . Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain YC419T was most closely related to Streptomyces vastus NBRC 13094T (99.0 %) and ‘Streptomyces xiangluensis’ NEAU-LA29 (98.6 %), and strain YC504T was to most closely related to Streptomyces caldifontis NCCP-1331T (98.6 %) and Streptomyces indicus IH32-1T (98.0 %). The cell walls of the two strains contained ll-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid and the whole-cell hydrolysates were glucose, mannose and ribose. The predominant menaquinones were MK-9(H8) and MK-9(H6) in both strains. The major polar lipids of strain YC419T were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol, while strain YC504T had a similar profile but lacking diphosphatidylglycerol. The G+C contents of the genomic DNAs were 69.6 and 70.3 mol% for strains YC419T and YC504T, respectively. The phenotypic and genotypic data indicated that these two strains were readily distinguished from one another and the type strains of the other species classified in the genus Streptomyces . Therefore, the strains are suggested to represent two novel species of the genus Streptomyces , for which the names Streptomyces ureilyticus sp. nov. and Streptomyces mesophilus sp. nov. are proposed. The type strains are YC419T (=DSM 102299T=KCTC 39757T) and YC504T (=DSM 102300T=KCTC 39756T), respectively.

A novel member of the actinobacteria, designated strain A-T 0013T, was isolated from humic soil on a bird’s nest fern (Asplenium nidus L.) collected from Khao Yai National Park in Thailand. According the results of a polyphasic taxonomic study, A-T 0013T had characteristics typical of members of the genus Gordonia . The 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that A-T 0013T shared ≤98 % sequence similarity with all members of the genus Gordonia . The most closely related species was Gordonia effusa IFM 10200T (97.92 % sequence similarity). The average nucleotide identity based on blast (ANIb) value with G. effusa IFM 10200T was 76.81 %. The cell-wall peptidoglycan contained meso-diaminopimelic acid. The whole-cell sugars contained ribose, arabinose and galactose. The predominant menaquinone was MK-9(H2). The predominant fatty acids were C16 : 0, C18 : 1ω9c, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c/C16 : 1ω6c), and C18 : 0 10-methyl. Mycolic acid was present. The polar lipid profile for this strain ncluded diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylinositol mannosides. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 66.1 mol%. Differentiation of A-T 0013T from the most closely related species, Gordonia effusa IFM 10200T, was evident from digital DNA–DNA hybridization values of 21.8 %. On the basis of the results of comparative analysis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genotypic data, strain A-T 0013T is concluded to represent a novel species of the genus Gordonia , for which the name Gordonia asplenii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is A-T 0013T (=TBRC 11910T=NBRC 114549T).

One thermophilic bacterium, designated strain SYSU G02662T, was isolated from hot spring sediment sampled in Tibet, PR China. Polyphasic taxonomic analyses and whole-genome sequencing were used to determine the taxonomy position of the strain. Phylogenetic analysis using 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain SYSU G02662T showed the highest sequence similarity to Actinomarinicola tropica SCSIO 58843T (95.1 %). The strain could be differentiated from other species of the family Iamiaceae by its distinct phenotypic and genotypic characteristics. Cells of strain SYSU G02662T were aerobic, Gram-staining-positive and short rodshaped. Growth occurred optimally at 45 °C and pH 7.0. In addition, meso-diaminopimelic acid was the diagnostic diamino acid in the cell-wall peptidoglycan. The respiratory quinone was MK-9 (H8), while the major fatty acids (>10 %) were C16 : 0, C17 : 0, C18 : 0 and iso-C16 : 0. The detected polar lipids included diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol mannoside and phosphatidylinositol. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 70.5 % based on the draft genomic sequence. On the basis of phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic data, strain SYSU G02662T represents a novel species of a novel genus in the family Iamiaceae , for which the name Rhabdothermincola sediminis gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the proposed novel species is SYSU G02662T (=CGMCC 4.7688T=KCTC 49500T).

A novel Gram-stain-negative, curved rod-shaped, 0.5–0.7 µm wide and 3.0–10.0 µm long, non-motile bacterium, designated strain AK53T, was isolated from a 5 m depth water sample collected from the Bay of Bengal, Visakhapatnam, India. Colonies on marine agar were circular, small, dark orange, shiny, smooth, translucent, flat, with an entire margin. The major fatty acids included iso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 0 3OH, anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 1 G, iso-C17 : 0 3OH and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1  ω7c and/or C16 : 1  ω6c and/or iso-C15 : 0-2OH). Polar lipids included phosphatidylethanolamine and five unidentified lipids. The DNA G+C content of the strain AK53T was found to be 40.8 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain AK53T was closely related to Arenibacter latericius KMM 426T and Arenibacter certesii KMM3941T (pair-wise sequence similarity of 99.17 and 98.89 %, respectively), forming a distinct branch within the genus Arenibacter and clustering with A. latericius . Strain AK53T shared average nucleotide identity (ANIb, based on blast) of 78.07 and 77.44 % with A. latericius JCM 13508T and A. certesii JCM 13507T, respectively. Based on the observed phenotypic, chemotaxonomic characteristics and phylogenetic analysis, strain AK53T is described in this study as representing a novel species in the genus Arenibacter , for which the name Arenibacter amylolyticus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Arenibacter amylolyticus is AK53T (=MTCC 12004T= JCM 19206T=KCTC 62553T).

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, rod-shaped, aerobic bacterial strain, designated HC2T, was isolated from the phycosphere of Haematococcus lacustris NIES 144 culture. Strain HC2T was able to grow at pH 4.5–8.0, at 4–32 °C and in the presence of 0–2 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that strain HC2T was affiliated to the genus Mucilaginibacter and shared the highest sequence similarity with Mucilaginibacter lappiensis ANJKI2T (98.20 %) and Mucilaginibacter sabulilitoris SMS-12T (98.06 %). Strain HC2T contained summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c) and iso-C15 : 0 as the major fatty acids (>10.0 %). The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified aminophospholipid, one unidentified phospholipid, two unidentified aminolipids and four unidentified lipids. The respiratory quinone was menaquinone 7 (MK-7). The genomic DNA G+C content was 42.0 %. On the basis of the phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic characteristics, strain HC2T represents a novel species of the genus Mucilaginibacter, for which the name Mucilaginibacter inviolabilis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HC2T (=KCTC 82084T=JCM 34116T).

Three rod-shaped, non-spore-forming, yellow or pale-yellow pigmented bacteria with distinct MALDI-TOF mass spectra were isolated from the phyllosphere of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. Their 16S rRNA gene sequences demonstrated that these isolates belong to the genus Pedobacter . The nearest phylogenetic neighbours of strain LMG 31462T were Pedobacter steynii DSM 19110T (98.3 % 16S rRNA sequence similarity) and Pedobacter caeni LMG 22862T (98.3 %); the nearest phylogenetic neighbours of strain LMG 31463T were Pedobacter panaciterrae Gsoil 042T (98.3 %) and Pedobacter nutrimenti DSM 27372T (98.1 %); and the nearest phylogenetic neighbours of strain LMG 31464T were Pedobacter boryungensis BR-9T (99.0 %) and Pedobacter daejeonensis THG-DN3.18T (98.7 %). Average nucleotide identity analyses between the whole genome sequences of the three strains and of the type strains of their respective nearest-neighbour taxa yielded values well below the species delineation threshold and thus confirmed that the three strains represented a novel Pedobacter species each. An extensive phenotypic comparison and an analysis of whole-cell fatty acid components yielded distinctive phenotypic characteristics for each of these strains. We therefore propose to classify these isolates as three novel species, for which we propose the names Pedobacter gandavensis with LMG 31462T (=R-74704T=CECT 30149T) as the type strain, Pedobacter foliorum with LMG 31463T (=R-74623T=CECT 30150T) as the type strain and Pedobacter planticolens with LMG 31464T (=R-74626T=CECT 30151T) as the type strain.

This study presents taxonomic descriptions of strains CYK-4T and TWA-26T isolated from freshwater habitats in Taiwan. Both strains were Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, motile by gliding and rod-shaped. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and coding sequences of 92 protein clusters indicated that both strains belonged to the genus Flavobacterium . Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strains CYK-4T and TWA-26T shared 92.7 % sequence similarity and were most closely related to Flavobacterium ovatum W201ET (95.6 %) and Flavobacterium aquaticum JC164T (96.7 %), respectively. Both strains shared common chemotaxonomic characteristics comprising MK-6 as the main isoprenoid quinone, iso-C15 : 0 and iso-C15 : 1 G as the predominant fatty acids, phosphatidylethanolamine as the principal polar lipid, and homospermidine as the major polyamine. The DNA G+C contents of strains CYK-4T and TWA-26T were 41.5 and 31.8 mol%, respectively. The average nucleotide identity, average amino acid identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values between these two novel isolates and their closest relatives were below the cut-off values of 95–96, 90 and 70 %, respectively, used for species demarcation. On the basis of phenotypic and genotypic properties and phylogenetic inference, both strains should be classified as novel species within the genus Flavobacterium , for which the names Flavobacterium lotistagni sp. nov. (type strain CYK-4T=BCRC 81192T=LMG 31330T) and Flavobacterium celericrescens sp. nov. (type strain TWA-26T=BCRC 81200T=LMG 31333T) are proposed.