Flavitalea populi gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from soil of a Euphrates poplar (Populus euphratica) forest

Abstract

A novel strain, designated HY-50RT, isolated from soil of a Euphrates poplar (Populus euphratica) forest in Xinjiang, China, was characterized using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Cells of the isolate were Gram-reaction-negative, strictly aerobic, rod-shaped, non-motile, oxidase-negative and catalase-positive. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the isolate was a member of the phylum Bacteroidetes, its closest relatives being Niastella populi THYL-44T (93.6 % similarity), Flavisolibacter ginsengisoli Gsoil 643T (93.5 %), Terrimonas ferruginea IAM 15098T (93.3 %) and Flavisolibacter ginsengiterrae Gsoil 492T (93.2 %). The major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 1 G (11.7 %), iso-C15 : 0 (19.6 %) and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH (19.3 %). The predominant menaquinone of strain HY-50RT was MK-7 and the genomic DNA G+C content was 46.8 mol%. Flexirubin-type pigments were not produced. Based on phylogenetic evidence and the results of phenotypic, genotypic and chemotaxonomic analysis, strain HY-50RT represents a novel species of a novel genus, for which the name Flavitalea populi gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HY-50RT ( = CCTCC AB 208255T  = NRRL B-59222T).