Agarivorans gilvus sp. nov. isolated from seaweed

Abstract

A novel agarase-producing, non-endospore-forming marine bacterium, WH0801T, was isolated from a fresh seaweed sample collected from the coast of Weihai, China. Preliminary characterization based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that WH0801Tshared 96.1 % similarity withAgarivorans albusMKT 106T, the type species of the genusAgarivorans. A polyphasic taxonomic study was conducted and confirmed the phylogenetic affiliation of strain WH0801Tto the genusAgarivorans. Isolate WH0801Tproduces light-yellow-pigmented colonies; cells are Gram-stain-negative, straight or curved rods, which are motile with a single polar flagellum. Strain WH0801Tgrew in 0.5–5 % NaCl, with optimum growth at 3 % NaCl, and its optimal pH and cultivation temperature were 8.4–8.6 and 28–32 °C, respectively. Data from biochemical tests, whole-cell fatty acid profiling, 16S rRNA gene sequence studies and DNA–DNA hybridization clearly indicated that isolate WH0801Trepresented a novel species within the genusAgarivorans, for which the nameAgarivorans gilvussp. nov. is proposed. The type strain ofAgarivorans gilvussp. nov. is WH0801T(=NRRL B-59247T=CGMCC 1.10131T).