Isolation and characterization of two new species, Hymenobacter mellowenesis sp. nov. and Hymenobacter aranciens sp. nov., from soil.

Abstract

Strains M29T and ASUV-10-1T, which are aerobic, non-flagellated, and Gram-stain-negative, were isolated from soil samples collected in Inje (37°57'49.1"N 128°19'53.7"E) and Cheonan City (36°48'47.1"N 127°05'22.4"E), South Korea. Phylogenetic analyses based on rRNA gene sequences revealed that strains M29T and ASUV-10-1T form a distinct branch within the family Hymenobacter (order Cytophagales, class Cytophagia). Strain M29T is most closely related to Hymenobacter rubidus DG7BT with a 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 97.05%. Strain ASUV-10-1T shows closest genetic similarity to Hymenobacter frigidus B1789T (96.42%), Hymenobacter jeongseonensis BT683T (95.97%), and Hymenobacter terricola 3F2TT (95.65%). The optimal growth conditions for these strains are pH 7.0, no NaCl, and a temperature of 25°C. The dominant cellular fatty acids identified in these strains are iso-C15:0, anteiso-C15:0, and Summed Feature 3 (C16:1ω 7c / C16:1ω 6c). Both strains predominantly contain MK-7 as the respiratory quinone. The major polar lipids in strains M29T and ASUV-10-1T are phosphatidylethanolamine, aminophospholipid, and aminolipid. Based on biochemical, chemotaxonomic, and phylogenetic data, it is evident that M29T and ASUV-10-1T represent new species within the genus Hymenobacter. The new species were classified based on biochemical and chemotaxonomic characteristics. The taxonomic classification of these species was conducted following the guidelines and protocols outlined in Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology. We followed the methods for determining physiological and biochemical characteristics, as well as chemotaxonomic markers such as fatty acid profiles, quinone types, and polar lipid compositions. We also compared with the results of carbohydrate utilization and enzyme activities results [Bergey 1994]. Therefore, we propose the names Hymenobacter mellowenesis for strain M29T (= KCTC 102056T = NBRC 116578T) and Hymenobacter aranciens for strain ASUV-10-1T (= KCTC 92969T = NBRC 116575T).