- Volume 72, Issue 12, 2023

A novel predatory bacterium, strain LBG001T, has been isolated from Reynosa, Mexico. The 16S rRNA shares approximately 97 % sequence identity with many reported strains in the genus Bdellovibrio including the type strain Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus HD100T. Phylogenetic trees based on the 16S rRNA gene and on 30 concatenated housekeeping genes or core genes showed that LBG001T is on a separate branch from the B. bacteriovorus group. LBG0001T has a genome size of 3 582 323 bp with a G+C content of 43.1 mol %. The average nucleotide identity, average amino acid identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values with other members of the genus Bdellovibrio (<79, <72 and <17 %, respectively) qualifies the strain to represent a new species in the genus. Strain LBG001T formed visible plaques on all 10 tested Gram-negative bacterial species. The phenotypic characteristics, phylogenetic analysis and genomic taxonomic studies support the classification of the strain as representing a new species for which the name Bdellovibrio reynosensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is LBG001T(=ATCC TSD-288T =CM-CNRG 0932T).

A dark-coloured thin film of cyanobacteria growing on the bottom of a submerged stone was isolated from Basantgarh village in Udhampur district, Jammu and Kashmir, India. The isolated strain (designated 19C-PST) was characterized using a polyphasic approach. The strain exhibited typical Nostoc -like morphology with a characteristic feature of having heterocytes in series. The 16S rRNA gene phylogeny placed the strain at a well-supported and distinct node. Notably, the recently described genus, Amazonocrinis , on the addition of more 16S rRNA gene sequences, reflected a critical split, which proved to be stable and well supported in all phylogenetic analyses of the 16S rRNA gene. Interestingly, Amazonocrinis nigriterrae CENA67T (type species of the genus) clustered together with our strain 19C-PST in the 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic analysis while the rest of the members of the genus Amazonocrinis were placed at a separate and distant node. This clearly indicated that strain 19C-PST is a member of Amazonocrinis sensu stricto. However, the results of phylogenetic analysis of ITS sequences only, in strains purported to belong to Amazonocrinis did not agree with the 16S rRNA gene results and placed our strain 19C-PST in a sister clade to three strains that have not yet been speciated, UHCC 0702, NIES-4103 and SA22, with A. nigriterrae falling into a separate clade. Further, folded secondary structures of the D1–D1′, V2, BoxB and V3 helices of strain 19C-PST were found to be significantly different from those of all the phylogenetically related taxa. The study revealed an interesting case where low taxon sampling and phylogenomic interpretations came across as points of attention in cyanobacterial taxonomy. Based on the morphological, phylogenetic, 16S–23S ITS secondary structure analyses, we describe our strain as Amazonocrinis malviyae sp. nov. in accordance with the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants. This work also illuminates the need for further research to resolve the taxonomic discrepancies among Amazonocrinis strains.

Strains LMG 7974T and LMG 8286T represent single, novel Campylobacter lineages with Campylobacter pinnipediorum and Campylobacter mucosalis as nearest phylogenomic neighbours, respectively. The results of average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) analyses of LMG 7974T, LMG 8286T and type strains of species of the genus Campylobacter confirmed that these strains represent novel species of the genus Campylobacter . The 16S rRNA gene sequences of both strains showed highest identity towards C. mucosalis (97.84 and 98.74 %, respectively). Strains LMG 7974T and LMG 8286T shared 72.5 and 73.7% ANI, respectively, with their nearest phylogenomic neighbours and less than 21 % dDDH. The draft genome sizes of LMG 7974T and LMG 8286T are 1 945429 bp and 1 708214 bp in length with percentage DNA G+C contents of 33.8 and 37.2 %, respectively. Anomalous biochemical characteristics and low MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry log scores supported their designation as representing novel species of the genus Campylobacte. We therefore propose to classify strain LMG 7974T (=CCUG 20705T) as the type strain of the novel species Campylobacter majalis sp. nov. and strain LMG 8286T (=CCUG 24193T, NCTC 11879T) as the type strain of the novel species Campylobacter suis sp. nov.

A Gram-stain-negative, facultatively anaerobic, flagellated and coccoid, ovoid or rod-shaped bacterial strain, NIFS-20-8T, was isolated from the intestine of an olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) from the East Sea, Republic of Korea. The neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree of 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain NIFS-20-8T fell within the clade comprising the type strains of Enterovibrio species. Strain NIFS-20-8T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of 97.2 and 97.1 % to the type strains of Enterovibrio nigricans and Enterovibrio norvegicus , respectively, and of 96.6–97.0 % to the type strains of the other Enterovibrio species. The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values between the genomic sequence of strain NIFS-20-8T and those of the type strains of four Enterovibrio species were 73.8–75.0 and 19.8–21.1 %, respectively. The DNA G+C content of strain NIFS-20-8T from genomic sequence data was 50.55 mol%. Strain NIFS-20-8T contained Q-8 as the predominant ubiquinone and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1  ω7c and/or C16 : 1  ω6c), C16 : 0 and C18 : 1  ω7c as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids detected in stain NIFS-20-8T were phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol. Distinguishing phenotypic properties, together with phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain NIFS-20-8T is separated from recognized Enterovibrio species. On the basis of the data presented here, strain NIFS-20-8T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Enterovibrio , for which the name Enterovibrio paralichthyis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NIFS-20-8T (= KCTC 82873T=NBRC 115237T).

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, chemoheterotrophic and rod-shaped strain, designated as C5T, was isolated from intertidal surface seawater in Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, PR China and characterized using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Strain C5T could produce carotenoids and bacteriochlorophyll a. Growth was observed at 20–45 °C, at pH 6.0–9.0 and with 0–8.0 % (w/v) NaCl. The 16S rRNA gene sequence identity analysis revealed that strain C5T was the most closely related to Qipengyuania nanhaisediminis CGMCC 1.7715T (98.8%) and Erythrobacter litoralis DSM 8509T (98.7%). The phylogenetic reconstruction based on core genes demonstrated that strain C5T was clustered into the members of the genus Erythrobacter . The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values between strain C5T and Erythrobacter type strains were lower than 76 and 25 %, respectively. The predominant and minor respiratory quinones were identified as ubiquinone-10 and ubiquinone-9. The major fatty acids were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1  ω7c and/or C18 : 1  ω6c) and iso-C18 : 0. Polar lipids included phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, a glycosphingolipid and an unidentified aminolipid. Based on the genetic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic data, strain C5T is concluded to represent a novel species in the genus Erythrobacter , for which the name Erythrobacter aurantius sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is C5T (=MCCC 1K05108T=KCTC 92307T).

A Gram-negative, aerobic, motile with paired polar flagella and rod-shaped bacterium strain (56D2T) was isolated from tobacco planting soil in Yunnan, PR China. Major fatty acids were C16  :  1 ω7c (summed feature 3), C16  :  0 and C18  :  1  ω7c (summed feature 8). The polar lipid profile of strain 56D2T consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified aminophospholipid and one unidentified glycolipid. Moreover, strain 56D2T contained ubiquinone Q-8 as the sole respiratory quinone. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain 56D2T was closely related to members of the genus Ralstonia and the two type strains with the highest sequence identities were R. mannitolilytica LMG 6866T (98.36 %) and R. pickettii K-288T (98.22 %). The 16S rRNA gene sequence identities between strain 56D2T and other members of the genus Ralstonia were below 98.00 %. Genome sequencing revealed a genome size of 5.87 Mb and a G+C content of 63.7 mol%. The average nucleotide identity values between strain 56D2T and R. pickettii K-288T, R. mannitolilytica LMG 6866 T and R. insidiosa CCUG 46789T were less than 95 %, and the in silico DNA–DNA hybridization values (yielded by formula 2) were less than 70 %. Based on these data, we conclude that strain 56D2T represents a novel species of the genus Ralstonia , for which the name Ralstonia wenshanensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Ralstonia wenshanensis sp. nov. is 56D2T (=CCTCC AB 2021466T=GDMCC 1.2886T=JCM 35178T).

Bacterial strain A52C2T was isolated from the endophytic microbial community of a Pinus pinaster tree trunk and characterized. Strain A52C2T stained Gram-negative and formed rod-shaped cells that grew optimally at 30 °C and at pH 6.0–7.0. The G+C content of the DNA was 65.1 mol %. The respiratory quinone was ubiquinone 10, and the major fatty acids were cyclo-C19:0 ω8c and C18:0, representing 70.1 % of the total fatty acids. Phylogenetic analyses based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences placed strain A52C2T in a distinct lineage within the order Hyphomicrobiales , family Pleomorphomonadaceae . The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of A52C2T to that of Mongoliimonas terrestris and Oharaeibacter diazotrophicus were 93.15 and 93.2 %, respectively. The draft genome sequence of strain A52C2T comprises 4 196 045 bases with a 195-fold mapped coverage of the genome. The assembled genome consists of 43 contigs of more than 1 000 bp (N50 contig size was 209 720 bp). The genome encodes 4033 putative coding sequences. The phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic data showed that strain A52C2T (=UCCCB 130T=CECT 8949T=LMG 29042T) represents the type of a novel species and genus, for which we propose the name Faunimonas pinastri gen. nov., sp. nov.

Two closely related, aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, motile, oval-shaped, non-endospore-forming, moderately thermophilic bacteria, designated strains SYSU G05006T and SYSU G05005, were isolated from a bioreactor enrichment and the original sample was collected from Rehai National Park, Tengchong, Yunnan Province, PR China. The results of phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that these two strains were closely related to Caldovatus sediminis YIM 72346T (96.75 and 96.89 % sequence similarity, respectively). The whole genome size of strain SYSU G05006T was 3.87 Mbp with a DNA G+C content of 75.33 mol%. The average nucleotide identity (ANI based on the MUMmer algorithm≤90.31 % and ANI based on blast≤89.36 %) and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (≤35.10 %) values between strain SYSU G05006T and other members of the family Acetobacteraceae were all lower than the threshold values recommended for distinguishing novel prokaryotic species. Optimal growth of the strain was observed at 55 °C and pH 6.0. Ubiquinone-10 was the predominant respiratory lipoquinone. The major cellular fatty acids included iso-C14 : 0, C16 : 1 ω5c, summed feature 5 and summed feature 7. The major polar lipids consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified aminolipid, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, two unidentified phospholipids and two unidentified lipids. Based on results of phylogenetic analyses, comparative genomics and phenotypic characteristics, we describe a new species of the genus Caldovatus represented by strain SYSU G05006T (=KCTC 82831T=MCCC 1K06125T), for which we propose the name Caldovatus aquaticus sp. nov.

A Gram-stain-negative, obligately anaerobic, non-motile, non-spore-forming, helical rod-shaped bacterium, designated AGMB01872T, was isolated from faeces of a cow deposited in the National Institute of Animal Science (Wanju, Republic of Korea). Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain AGMB01872T was most closely related to Succinivibrio dextrinosolvens DSM 3072T (= KCTC 25222T, 96.6 %) which belonged to the family Succinivibrionaceae . Growth was occurred at 30–40 °C (optimum, 37 °C), pH 6–7 (optimum, pH 7) and in the presence of 0.5–1.0 % (w/v) NaCl. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain AGMB01872T was 35.9 mol%. The average nucleotide identity value between strain AGMB01872T and S. dextrinosolvens DSM 3072T was 72.1 %. Cells of strain AGMB01872T utilized d-glucose, maltose, d-xylose and l-arabinose. The major fatty acids (>10 %) were C14 : 0 (23.9 %), C16 : 0 (29.4 %), summed feature 5 (10.8 %) and summed feature 10 (30.3 %). The major end-product of glucose fermentation was succinate. Based on the phenotypic, phylogenetic, biochemical, genotypic and chemotaxonomic data, AGMB01872T represents a novel species within the genus Succinivibrio , for which the name Succinivibrio feacicola sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is AGMB01872T (= KCTC 25201T=NBRC 115007T=GDMCC 1.2573T).

A novel Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, cream-coloured, motile, halotolerant bacterium, designated as YJPS3-2T, was isolated from saltern sediment of the Yellow sea in Yongyu-do, Republic of Korea. Strain YJPS3-2T grew at pH 5.0–10.0 (optimum, pH 7.0), 4–40 °C (optimum, 30 °C) and with 1–15% (w/v) NaCl (optimum 3 %). The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain YJPS3-2T was closely related to those of Halomonas halophila F5-7T (98.75 %), Halomonas salina F8-11T (98.74 %), Halomonas smyrnensis AAD6T (98.66 %), Halomonas organivorans G-16.1T (98.34 %), Halomonas koreensis SS20T (97.98 %) and Halomonas beimenensis NTU-107T (96.93 %). The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values between YJPS3-2T and related type strains were 86.9–91.6 % and 32.0–44.8 %. Strain YJPS3-2T was characterized as having Q-9 as the predominant respiratory quinone and the principal fatty acids (>10 %) were C16 : 0 (31.4 %), C19 : 0 ω8c cyclo (16.3 %), C17 : 0 cyclo (11.9 %) and C12 : 0 3-OH (10.4 %). The polar lipids consisted of phosphatidylcholine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol. The DNA G+C content of strain YJPS3-2T is 68.1mol %. Based on the polyphasic taxonomic evidence presented in this study, YJPS3-2T should be classified as representing a novel species within the genus Halmonas, for which name Halomonas getboli is proposed, with the type strain YJPS3-2T (= KCTC 92124T=KACC 22561T=JCM 35085T).

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic and rod-shaped bacterium, strain Y2R2T, was isolated from a saline–alkali soil sample collected from Binhai New Area, Tianjin, PR China. Growth of strain Y2R2T was observed at 10–45 °C (optimum, 30 °C), at pH 6.0–11.0 (optimum, pH 9.0) and in the presence of 0–15 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 9.0 %). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain Y2R2T was affiliated with the genus Halomonas and showed the highest similarity to Halomonas huangheensis BJGMM-B45T (99.0%) and Halomonas cupida DSM 4740T (98.4%). The digital DNA–DNA hybridization and average nucleotide identity values of 21.0–22.8 % and 73.3–75.7 % with the closely related species H. huangheensis BJGMM-B45T, H. cupida DSM 4740T, H. ventosae AL12T, H. stenophila N12T and H. litopenaei SYSU ZJ2214T were lower than the threshold recommended for species discrimination.

The major respiratory quinone of strain Y2R2T was Q-9 and the major cellular fatty acids consisted of C16 : 0, C19 : 0 cyclo ω8c and summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c and/or C18 : 1 ω6c). The DNA G+C content of strain Y2R2T was 57.0 mol%. On the basis of this polyphasic taxonomic study, strain Y2R2T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Halomonas , for which the name Halomonas binhaiensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is Y2R2T (=CGMCC 1.16974T=KCTC 72578T).

Two novel strains, designated XJ19-45T and XJ19-1, were isolated from water of Kuche River in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. Their cells were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic and motile rods. The phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA genes and genomes showed that the two isolates belonged to the genus Devosia and the closest relative was Devosia subaequoris HST3-14T. The 16S rRNA genes sequences pairwise similarities, average nucleotide identities, digital DNA–DNA hybridizations and average amino acid identities between type strain XJ19-45T and other relatives were all less than 98.3, 80.3, 23.6 and 85.7 %, respectively, all below the species delineation thresholds. Pan-genomic analysis indicated that the novel isolate XJ19-45T shared 1594 core gene clusters with the 11 closely related type strains in Devosia , and the number of strain-specific clusters was 390. The major cellular fatty acids (>10 %) of the two isolates were summed feature 8, C18 : 1 ω7c 11-methyl and C16 : 0. Diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and glycolipids were the major polar lipids, and Q10 was the detected respiratory quinone. Based on the results of phenotypic, physiological, chemotaxonomic and genotypic characterizations, we propose that the isolates represent a novel species, for which the name Devosia ureilytica sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is XJ19-45T (=CGMCC 1.19388T=KCTC 92263T).

Two strains of a novel ascomycetous yeast species were isolated from rotting wood samples collected in Jiuxi Mountain Forest Park in Yunnan Province, southwest China. Both strains formed one or two spherical ascospores in persistent asci. Phylogenetic analysis of the concatenated sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region (ITS1-5.8S–ITS2) and the D1/D2 domain of the large subunit rRNA gene revealed that the novel strains represented a phylogenetically distinct species belonging to the genus Torulaspora. This novel species differed from the type strains of the closest known species, Torulaspora nypae and Torulaspora maleeae, by 0.9 and 1.2 % nucleotide substitutions in the D1/D2 domain and 5.3 and 6 % nucleotide substitutions in the ITS region, respectively. The novel species can also be distinguished from T. nypae and T. maleeae in terms of the ability to assimilate ribitol, succinate and citrate, and its ability to grow at 37 °C. The species name of Torulaspora jiuxiensis sp. nov. is proposed with holotype CBS 16004T (Mycobank MB 844535).

Opinion 123 places the epithet of the name Aeromonas punctata on the list of rejected epithets and clarifies the citation of authors of selected names within the genus Aeromonas . Opinion 124 denies the request to place Borreliella on the list of rejected names because the request is based on a misinterpretation of the Code, which is clarified. There are alternative ways to solve the perceived problem. Opinion 125 denies the request to place Lactobacillus fornicalis on the list of rejected names because the provided information does not yield a reason for rejection. Opinion 126 denies the request to place Prolinoborus and Prolinoborus fasciculus on the list of rejected names because a relevant type strain deposit was not examined. Opinion 127 grants the request to assign the strain deposited as ATCC 4720 as the type strain of Agrobacterium tumefaciens , thereby correcting the Approved Lists. These Opinions were ratified by the voting members of the International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes.