Thalassotalea coralli sp. nov., isolated from the torch coral Euphyllia glabrescens.

Abstract

Strain Eup a-8T, isolated from a torch coral Euphyllia glabrescens, was characterized using a polyphasic taxonomy approach. Cells of strain Eup a-8T were Gram-staining-negative, aerobic, motile by means of a single polar flagellum, poly-β-hydroxybutyrate-containing, rod-shaped and formed white colonies. Optimal growth occurred at 25-30 °C, pH 7-8, and in the presence of 2 % NaCl. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain Eup a-8T belonged to the genus Thalassotalea and showed the highest levels of sequence similarity with respect to Thalassotalea ganghwensis JC2041T (97.1 %). Strain Eup a-8T contained C17 : 1ω8c, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c), iso-C14 : 0 and iso-C16 : 0 as the predominant fatty acids. The only isoprenoid quinone was Q-8. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and one uncharacterized phospholipid. Genomic DNA G+C content of strain Eup a-8T was 41.5 mol%. The DNA-DNA hybridization value for strain Eup a-8T with Thalassotalea ganghwensis JC2041T was less than 70 %. Differential phenotypic properties, together with the phylogenetic inference, demonstrate that strain Eup a-8T should be classified as a novel species of the genus Thalassotalea, for which the name Thalassotalea coralli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is Eup a-8T (=BCRC 80967T=LMG 29478T=KCTC 52169T).