Desulfovibrio alkalitolerans sp. nov., a novel alkalitolerant, sulphate-reducing bacterium isolated from district heating water

A novel alkalitolerant, sulphate-reducing bacterium (strain RT2^T) was isolated from alkaline district heating water. Strain RT2^T was a motile vibrio (0.50.8 µm wide and 1.41.9 µm long) and grew at pH 6.99.9 (optimum at pH 9.09.4) and at 1647 °C (optimum at 43 °C). The genomic DNA G+C content was 64.7 mol%. A limited number of compounds were used as electron donors with sulphate as electron acceptor, including lactate, pyruvate, formate and hydrogen/acetate. Sulphite and thiosulphate also served as electron acceptors. Based on physiological and genotypic properties, the isolate was considered to represent a novel species of the genus Desulfovibrio, for which the name Desulfovibrio alkalitolerans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is RT2^T (=DSM 16529^T=JCM 12612^T). The strain is the first alkali-tolerant member of the genus Desulfovibrio to be described.