Erythrobacter odishensis sp. nov. and Pontibacter odishensis sp. nov. isolated from dry soil of a solar saltern

Y. Subhash, L. Tushar, Ch. Sasikala, Ch. V. Ramana

¹Department of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, P.O. Central University, Hyderabad 500046, India

²Bacterial Discovery Laboratory, Centre for Environment, Institute of Science and Technology, J.N.T. University Hyderabad, Kukatpally, Hyderabad 500085, India

Correspondence
Ch. V. Ramana r449{at}sify.com or sasi449{at}yahoo.ie

International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 2013; 63(Pt 12):4524–4532 · https://doi.org/10.1099/ijs.0.052183-0

Abstract

Two bacterial strains (JC130^T and JA747^T) were isolated from dry soils of a solar saltern. Phylogenetic analysis showed that strain JA747^T clustered with species of the genus Erythrobacter belonging to the family Erythrobacteraceae of the class Alphaproteobacteria in the phylum Proteobacteria, while strain JC130^T clustered with species of the genus Pontibacter belonging to the family Cytophagaceae of the phylum Bacteroidetes. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain JA747^T had highest similarity with Erythrobacter gangjinensis K7-2^T (96.7 %) and other members of the genus Erythrobacter (<96 %). Strain JC130^T had highest sequence similarity with Pontibacter korlensis X14-1^T (98.1 %), Pontibacter actiniarum KMM 6156^T (96.9 %) and other members of the genus Pontibacter (<96 %). However, strain JC130^T showed less than 32 % DNA reassociation value (based on DNA–DNA hybridization) with Pontibacter korlensis NRRL B-51097^T ( = X14-1^T) and Pontibacter actiniarum LMG 23027^T ( = KMM 6156^T). Strain JA747^T was positive for catalase and oxidase activity and negative for nitrate reduction, and hydrolysis of starch and casein. Phosphatidylglycerol, diphostatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine were the major polar lipids for strain JA747^T. C_18 : 1ω7c, C_16 : 1ω6c/C_16 : 1ω7c, C_17 : 1ω6c and C_16 : 0 were the major fatty acids of strain JA747^T. Strain JC130^T was positive for catalase and oxidase, and negative for gelatinase and nitrate reduction. Phosphatidylethanolamine was the major polar lipid of strain JC130^T. Major fatty acids of strain JC130^T were iso-C_15 : 0 and summed feature 4 (anteiso-C_17 : 1B/iso I). Based on the phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and molecular evidence presented, strains JA747^T and JC130^T are considered to represent two novel species of the genera Erythrobacter and Pontibacter, for which the names Erythrobacter odishensis sp. nov. (type strain JA747^T = KCTC 23981^T = NBRC 108930^T) and Pontibacter odishensis sp. nov. (type strain JC130^T = KCTC 23982^T = LMG 26962^T), respectively, are proposed. Emended descriptions of the genera Erythrobacter and Pontibacter are provided.