Muriicola jejuensis gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from seawater

Abstract

An aerobic, yellow–orange-pigmented, Gram-staining-negative bacterium, designated strain EM44T, was isolated from seawater on the eastern coast of Jeju Island, Korea. Growth was observed at 15–35 °C (optimum 25–30 °C), pH 6.5–9.0 (optimum pH 7.0–8.5) and between 1 and 5 % NaCl (w/v) (optimum 2–4 %). Cells of strain EM44Twere non-motile, straight rods and showed catalase and oxidase activities. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 47.9 mol% and the major respiratory quinone was MK-6. The major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0G, iso-C15 : 0, iso-C17 : 03-OH and iso-C16 : 03-OH. Strain EM44Tcontained phosphatidylethanolamine as a major polar phospholipid. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain EM44Tfell within the familyFlavobacteriaceaein the phylumBacteroidetesand was most closely related to members of the generaEudoraea,ZeaxanthinibacterandRobiginitaleawith 92–94.5 % gene sequence similarities. On the basis of chemotaxonomic data and molecular properties, it is clear that strain EM44Trepresents a novel genus within the familyFlavobacteriaceae,for which the nameMuriicola jejuensisgen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the type species is EM44T(=KCTC 22299T=DSM 21206T).