Oceanisphaera Dongaensis Sp.Nov., a halophilic bacterium in the genus Oceanisphaera from the East Sea, Korea

Abstract

A taxonomic study was carried out on strains, BL1T and BL11 isolated from a marine sediment collected from East Sea, Korea. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence studies showed a clear affiliation of these isolates to the γ-Proteobacteria. BL1T and BL11 were most closely related to Oceanishpaera litoralis KMM3654T (97.6 % and 97.7 % 16S rRNA gene identity, respectively). The level of 16S rRNA gene identity between strains BL1T and BL11 was 99.7 %. These isolates were Gram-negative, encapsulated, aerobic, moderately halophilic and grew between 0.5 and 8 % NaCl and at 4-42 °C. Strain BL1T and BL11 shared some physiological and biochemical properties with Oceanishpaera litoralis KMM3654T except that BL1T and BL11 utilized ethanol, proline and alanine. The G+C content of the genomic DNA of strain BL1T and BL11 were 56.6 mol% and 57.1 mol%, respectively. Strain BL1T and BL11 have C16:1 ω7c and C15:0 iso 2-OH as the predominant fatty acids. DNA-DNA relatedness data indicated that strains BL1T and BL11 are members of a genomic species that is separate from the Oceanisphaera litoralis KMM3654T. On the basis of polyphasic evidence, it is proposed that strain BL1T should be placed in a new species, for which the names Oceanisphaera donghaensis sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain BL1T (= KCTC 12522T = DSM XXXXXT).