Psychroflexus salarius sp. nov., isolated from Gomso salt pan.

Abstract

A taxonomic study was carried out on a novel bacterial strain, designated MIC1008(T), which was isolated from the Gomso salt pan, located in Buan County, Korea. Cells were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile and moderately halophilic rods, 0.2-0.4 µm wide and 0.7-1.2 µm long. The optimum temperature and pH for growth were 25 °C and pH 6.5-8.5, respectively. Catalase and oxidase activities were positive. Carotenoid pigments were produced. Comparison of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the isolate belonged to the genus Psychroflexus, with Psychroflexus halocasei WCC 4520(T) as its closest relative, with a 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 95.4%. The isolate contained iso-C15:0, iso-C15:1 G, iso-C17:0 3-OH, anteiso-C15:0 and iso-C15:0 3-OH as the major fatty acids and menaquinone MK-6 as the isoprenoid quinone. The major polar lipid profile of strain MIC1008(T) revealed the presence of phosphatidylethanolamine, an unidentified aminolipid and two unidentified lipids. The DNA G+C content of the isolate was 32.9 mol%. On the basis of the evidences presented, it is concluded that strain MIC1008(T) represents a novel species of the genus Psychroflexus within the family Flavobacteriaceae, for which the name Psychroflexus http://dx.doi.org/10.1601/nm.8182 salarius sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is MIC1008(T) ( = KACC 17063(T) = DSM 25661(T)).