Leucothrix pacifica sp. nov., isolated from seawater, and emended description of the genus Leucothrix

Abstract

A Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, non-flagellated, non-gliding, oxidase- and catalase-positive, white-pigmented and rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain XH122T, was isolated from a surface seawater sample collected from the South Pacific Gyre (45° 58′ E 163° 11′ S) during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 329.Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain XH122T belonged to the genus Leucothrix and showed highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Leucothrix mucor DSM 2157T (94.3 %). It showed lower sequence similarities ( < 90.7 %) with all other representatives of the class Gammaproteobacteria. Optimal growth occurred in the presence of 2 % (w/v) NaCl, at pH 8.0 and at 28 °C. The DNA G+C content of strain XH122T was 46.2 mol%. The major fatty acids were C16 : 0, C16 : 1ω9c and C18 : 1ω9c. The major respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-8 (Q-8). The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol. On the basis of data from this polyphasic study, strain XH122T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Leucothrix, for which the name Leucothrix pacifica sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is XH122T ( = DSM 25984T = JCM 18388T).