Calidifontibacter terrae sp. nov., an actinomycete isolated from soil, with potential applications in cosmetics

An aerobic, Gram-stain-positive, oxidase- and catalase-positive, non-motile, non-spore-forming, coccoid, creamish-white-coloured bacterium, designated strain R161T, was isolated from soil in Hwaseong, South Korea. The cell-wall peptidoglycan contained glycine, glutamic acid, alanine, aspartic acid, serine and lysine, and whole-cell sugars were galactose, rhamnose, glucose and ribose. Strain R161T showed antibacterial and enzyme inhibitory activities. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that strain R161T formed a lineage within the family Dermacoccaceae, and showed highest sequence similarity with type strains of Calidifontibacter indicus PC IW02T (97.71 % sequence similarity) and Yimella lutea YIM 45900T (97.58 %). The sequence similarity of strain R161T with type strains of members of the genus Dermacoccus was less than 96.5 %. The major menaquinone was MK-8(H4). The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylinositol mannosides. The major cellular fatty acids were iso-C16 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0, iso-C16 : 1 H, anteiso-C17 : 1ω9c, summed feature 9 (iso-C17 : 1ω9c and/or C16 : 0 10-methyl) and iso-C15 : 0. The DNA G+C content of strain R161T was 73.9 mol%. The DNA-DNA hybridization value between strain R161T and C. indicus JCM 16038T was 52.1 %. On the basis of phenotypic, genotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic analysis, strain R161T represents a novel species of genus Calidifontibacter, for which the name Calidifontibacter terrae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Calidifontibacter terrae sp. nov. is R161T (=KEMB 9005-404T=KACC 18906T=JCM 31558T).

Acinetobacter halotolerans sp. nov., a novel halotolerant, alkalitolerant, and hydrocarbon degrading bacterium, isolated from soil

A novel aerobic, non-motile, halotolerant, alkalitolerant, hydrocarbon degrading, and rod shaped bacterium, designated strain R160^T, was isolated from soil in South Korea. Cells were Gram-staining-negative, catalase-positive, and oxidase-negative. This strain grew up to 7% of NaCl and in the pH range of 6-11 (optimum 7.0-10.0). The isolate degraded 51.7 ± 1.3% of hydrocarbon components (C-18, C-20, and C-22) and 45.8 ± 1.4% oil components (kerosene, diesel, and gasoline). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16 S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain R160^T formed a lineage within the genus Acinetobacter, and was closely related to 'Acinetobacter oleivorans' DR1^T (97.47%, sequence similarity). Other closely related members have sequence similarity between 97.47 to 96.52%. The predominant respiratory lipoquinones of strain R160^T were ubiquinone 9 (Q-9) and ubiquinone 8 (Q-8). The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), and phosphatidylcholine (PC). The major cellular fatty acids were 9-octadecenoic acid (C_18:1 ω9c), hexadecanoic acid (C_16:0), and summed feature (comprising C_16:1 ω7c and/or C_16:1 ω6c). The DNA G + C content of strain R160^T was 44.9 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic, genotypic, chemotaxonomic, and phylogenetic characteristics, strain R160^T represents a novel species of the genus Acinetobacter, for which the name Acinetobacter halotolerans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is R160^T (= KEMB 9005-333^T = KACC 18453^T = JCM 31009^T).

Niabellapedocola sp. nov., isolated from soil

An aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, oxidase-positive and catalase-negative, non-motile, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped, orange-pigmented bacterium designated strain R384^T was isolated from soil. Flexirubin-type pigments were present. Phylogenetic analysis based on its 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that strain R384^T formed a lineage within the family Chitinophagaceae of the phylum Bacteroidetes that was distinct from various species of the genus Niabella, including 'Niabella thaonhiensis' NHI-24 (98.47 % sequence similarity), Niabellaaurantiaca DSM 17617^T (96.89 %), Niabelladrilacis E90^T (96.63 %), Niabellahirudinis E96^T (96.61 %), Niabellatibetensis 15-4^T (95.53 %), Niabellasoli DSM 19437^T (94.81 %), Niabellaginsengisoli GR10-1^T (94.19 %) and Niabellayanshanensis CCBAU 05354^T (93.67 %). The major isoprenoid quinone was menaquinone-7 (MK-7) and the major polar lipid was phosphatidylethanolamine. The major cellular fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 1 G, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c/C16 : 1ω6c) and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH. The DNA G+C content of strain R384^Twas 44.7 mol %. DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain R384^T and other members of the genus Niabella ranged from 26 to 55 %. On the basis of phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic analysis, strain R384^T represents a novel species of the genus Niabella, for which the name Niabellapedocola sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is R384^T (=KEMB 9005-329^T=KACC 18454^T=JCM 31011^T).

Heterotrophic nitrification by Achromobacter xylosoxidans S18 isolated from a small-scale slaughterhouse wastewater

Heterotrophic carbon utilizing microbes were acclimatized in the laboratory by inoculating sludge collected from the waste discharge pond of a small-scale rural abattoir in India in a nutrient solution intermittently fed with glucose and ammonium chloride. Cultures of 10 well-developed isolates were selected and grown in a basal medium containing glucose and ammonium chloride. Culture supernatants were periodically analyzed for ammonium nitrogen (NH(4)(+)-N) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). Polyphasic taxonomic study of the most active nitrifier (S18) was done. Half saturation concentration (K(s)), maximum rate of substrate utilization (k), yield coefficient (Y) and decay coefficient (K(d)) were determined from the Lineweaver-Burk plot using the modified Monod equation. S18 was able to remove 97 ± 2% of (NH(4)(+)-N) and 88 ± 3% of COD. Molecular phylogenetic study supported by physiological and biochemical characteristics assigned S18 as Achromobacter xylosoxidans. Nitrification activity of A. xylosoxidans was demonstrated for the first time, while interestingly, the distinctive anaerobic denitrification property was preserved in S18. K (s) values were determined as 232.13 ± 1.5 mg/l for COD reduction and 2.131 ± 1.9 mg/l for NH(4)(+)-N utilization. Yield coefficients obtained were 0.4423 ± 0.1134 mg of MLVSS/mg of COD and 0.2461 ± 0.0793 mg of MLVSS/mg of NH(4)(+)-N while the decay coefficients were 0.0627 ± 0.0013 per day and 0.0514 ± 0.0008 per day, respectively. After a contact period of 24 h, 650 ± 5 mg/l solids were produced when the initial concentration of COD and NH(4)(+)-N were 1820 ± 10 mg/l and 120 ± 5.5 mg/l, respectively. This is the first report on the kinetic coefficients for carbon oxidation and nitrification by a single bacterium isolated from slaughterhouse wastewater.