Cellulomonas shaoxiangyii sp. nov., isolated from faeces of Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii) on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Abstract

Two Gram-stain-positive, catalase-positive and oxidase-negative, aerobic, non-motile, cellobiose-utilizing, short-rod-shaped strains (Z28T and Z29) were isolated from faeces of Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii) collected on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Strain Z28T shared 98.1, 98.0, 97.8 and 97.4 % 16S rRNA gene similarity, 24.1, 22.8, 23.2 and 26.3 % digital DNA–DNA hybridization relatedness and 80.8, 80.0, 80.7 and 80.9 % average nucleotide identity values with Cellulomonas oligotrophica DSM 24482T, Cellulomonas flavigena DSM 20109T, Cellulomonas iranensis DSM 14785T and Cellulomonas terrae JCM 14899T, respectively. Results from further phylogenetic analyses based on the 16S rRNA gene and 148 core genes indicated that strains Z28T and Z29 were closest to C. oligotrophica DSM 24482T and C. flavigena DSM 20109T, but clearly separated from the currently recognized species of the genus Cellulomonas . The genomic DNA G+C content of strain Z28T was 75.3 mol%. The major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 1 A, C16 : 0 and anteiso-C17 : 0. Ribose and mannose were detected as the whole-cell sugars. The major respiratory quinone was MK-9(H4) and ornithine was the diamino acid of the cell wall. The polar lipids present in strain Z28T were phosphatidylethanolamine, five phospholipids, two aminophospholipids, aminolipid and three unidentified lipids. Comparison of phenotypic and phylogenetic features between the two strains and the related organisms revealed that Z28T and Z29 represent a novel species of the genus Cellulomonas , for which the name Cellulomonas shaoxiangyii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is Z28T (=CGMCC 1.16477T=DSM 106200T).