Halomonas smyrnensis sp. nov., a moderately halophilic, exopolysaccharide-producing bacterium

Abstract

Four Gram-negative, moderately halophilic, exopolysaccharide-producing strains, designated AAD6T, AAD4, AAD17 and AAD21, were isolated from Çamaltı Saltern Area, a wildlife reserve in Sasalı, İzmir province located in the Aegean Region of Turkey. The isolates grew at an optimum NaCl concentration of 10 % (w/v). The major cellular fatty acids were C16 : 0, C18 : 1ω7c, C16 : 1ω7c and C12 : 0 3OH, respectively and the predominant lipoquinone was ubiquinone Q-9. The G+C content of the genomic DNA of strains AAD6T, AAD4, AAD17 and AAD21 was 63.0, 63.3, 62.8 and 62.6 mol%, respectively. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence studies showed that the isolates belonged to the genus Halomonas . The DNA–DNA hybridization mean values between the representative strain AAD6T and the closely related species Halomonas salina DSM 5928T, Halomonas halophila DSM 4770T, Halomonas maura DSM 13445T, Halomonas organivorans DSM 16226T, Halomonas elongata DSM 2581T, Halomonas koreensis JCM 12237T and Halomonas nitroreducens LMG 24185, were 40.8, 39.6, 24.2, 23.3, 12.6, 14.5 and 12.2 %, respectively. Based on these data the strains represent a novel species of the genus Halomonas for which the name Halomonas smyrnensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is AAD6T ( = DSM 21644T = JCM 15723T).