Anderseniella baltica gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel marine bacterium of the Alphaproteobacteria isolated from sediment in the central Baltic Sea

Abstract

A bacterial isolate from the Baltic Sea, designated strain BA141T, was characterized for its physiological and biochemical features, fatty acid profile, pigment spectrum, DNA G+C content and phylogenetic position based on comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The strain was isolated from the surface of sediment in a deep basin of the central Baltic Sea. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed a clear affiliation with the Alphaproteobacteria, and showed that the closest phylogenetic relationship was with the genus Rhodobium. The G+C content of the DNA was 61.2 mol%. Cells of strain BA141T were red-pigmented, Gram-negative, pleomorphic to rod-shaped, non-motile and catalase- and oxidase-positive. Growth was observed at salinities of 0.8–6 %, with optimum growth at 1.5–3 %. The temperature range for growth was 10–37 °C, with optimum growth at 25–30 °C. The fatty acids were dominated by unsaturated fatty acids (>86 %); the number of fatty acids detected was very low, with 18 : 1ω7c (73 %) as the predominant fatty acid; other major fatty acids were 19 : 0 cyclo 8c (10 %) and 16 : 0 (8 %). The pigment spectrum indicated the presence of carotenoids and unknown pigment(s) with an absorption maximum at 430 nm, but not bacteriochlorophyll a. According to phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence and the phenotypic features, strain BA141T represents a new genus and species. The name Anderseniella baltica gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed, with strain BA141T (=CIP 109499T=LMG 24028T) as the type strain.