Hymenobacter ruber sp. nov., isolated from grass soil

A taxonomic study using a polyphasic approach was performed on a Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain PB156^T, isolated from grass soil. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence studies showed that the isolate was clearly affiliated with the phylum Bacteroidetes, and most closely related to Hymenobacter soli PB17^T, Hymenobacter antarcticus VUG-A42aa^T and Hymenobacter glaciei VUG-A130^T, showing 96.4, 96.2 and 95.9 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, respectively, while all other species of the genus shared only 89.3–95.2 % similarity. The main polyamine present was sym-homospermidine. The predominant menaquinone was MK-7. The major fatty acids were C_15 : 0 iso, summed feature 3 (C_16 : 1ω6c and/or C_16 : 1ω7c/t), C_16 : 1ω5c and C_15 : 0 anteiso. The G+C content of the genomic DNA of strain PB156^T was 61.7 mol%. The combined genotypic and phenotypic data supported the conclusion that strain PB156^T represents a novel species of the genus Hymenobacter, for which the name Hymenobacter ruber sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is PB156^T ( = KCTC 32477^T = JCM 19433^T).